confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: an act or instance of confusing

confusion of the issue

2

a

: the quality or state of being confused

Try to relieve their confusion.

mental confusion

b

: a confused mass or mixture

a confusion of voices

confusional

kən-ˈfyüzh-nəl 

-ˈfyü-zhə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• bafflement
• bamboozlement
• befuddlement
• bemusement
• bewilderedness
• bewilderment
• confusedness
• discombobulation
• distraction
• fog
• head-scratching
• maze [chiefly dialect]
• muddle
• mystification
• perplexity
• puzzlement
• tangle
• whirl

Examples of confusion in a Sentence

There is still some confusion as to the time of the meeting.

There is a great deal of confusion about how the system works.

the anxieties and confusions of teenage life

He stared in confusion and disbelief.

There was total confusion when the truck hit the restaurant.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of that confusion comes from the difference between fines and fees. —Isabelle Kause, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2024

That total dropped in 2022 amid patient confusion over what would happen in the wake of Roe vs. Wade being overturned. —Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024

Consumers have more choice than ever, but there’s still plenty of confusion because of the vast selection of options suddenly available to those with hearing loss. —Christopher Null, WIRED, 20 Apr. 2024

But slowly and deliberately, a different kind of confusion seeps in, as Parks ingeniously stretches the canvas to accommodate a bigger picture. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Native News noted the confusion: Were volunteers searching for a missing person or a fugitive? —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024

The moon’s clash with Neptune creates confusion and emotional overwhelm. —USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024

Suddenly, loud music begins playing in the meeting, to Ross’ confusion. —Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024

Online arena Complicating the implementation of the law, Siobhan Brown, Scotland’s Minister for Victims and Community Safety, sparked confusion about whether or not the act would make misgendering someone online a crime. —Amy Cassidy, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English confusioun "ruin, disgrace, disorder," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French confusiun, borrowed from Latin confūsiōn-, confūsiō "mixing, combining, disorder, consternation," from confud-, variant stem of confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at confound

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: an act or instance of confusing

2

: the quality or state of being confused

her confusion was obvious

Medical Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

: disturbance of consciousness characterized by inability to engage in orderly thought or by lack of power to distinguish, choose, or act decisively

confusional

-zhnəl, -zhən-ᵊl 

adjective

Legal Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion

1

in the civil law of Louisiana : a uniting of two interests or rights in property into one compare merger sense 1

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : the termination of an obligation by a person acquiring the right from which the obligation arose

3

: the mixing or blending together of goods or commodities so that the individual owners cannot identify their own property

called also confusion of goods