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

mental confusion

During the night orders and counterorders added to the confusion, … and by morning the VIth Corps was in a disorganized shambles …

—Barbara W. Tuchman

b

: a confused mass or mixture

a confusion of voices

confusional

kən-ˈfyü-zh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms of confusion

• fog
• tangle
• perplexity
• bewilderment
• discomfort
• befuddlement
• distress
• embarrassment
• bafflement

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

As the Moon moves through your 2nd House of Finances, clear terms help prevent confusion and keep things fair. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026

Until the full transition is complete, double-check your ticket or confirm with your airline to avoid last-minute confusion. —Shradha Shahani, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026

As arrangements are made to return his body to California, his family continues to process not just the loss — but the confusion that surrounded it. —Ryan Brennan april 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026

As details emerge of executives profiting from stock trades just days before the news, anger and betrayal deepen, and confusion and heartbreak occur as rumors spread and questions go unanswered. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for confusion

• allusion
• collusion
• conclusion
• contusion
• delusion
• diffusion
• effusion
• exclusion
• extrusion
• illusion
• inclusion
• infusion

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