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confusion

[kuhn-fyoo-zhuhn]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

the act of confusing.

the state of being confused.

disorder; upheaval; tumult; chaos: The army retreated in confusion.

lack of clearness or distinctness: a confusion in his mind between right and wrong.

perplexity; bewilderment: The more difficult questions left us in complete confusion.

EXPAND

embarrassment or abashment: He blushed in confusion.

Psychiatry. a disturbed mental state; disorientation.

Archaic. defeat, overthrow, or ruin.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Latin confūsiōn- (stem of confūsiō). See confuse, -ion

Related forms

con·fu·sion·al, adjective

pre·con·fu·sion, noun

re·con·fu·sion, noun

su·per·con·fu·sion, noun

Synonyms
2. distraction. 3. turmoil, jumble, mess, disarray. 6. shame, mortification.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To confusion

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Confusion is always a great word to know.

So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

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Example Sentences

The crowd stirred with confusion and the stadium quieted.

Confusion about the nature of the so-called information age has led to a state of collective false consciousness.

The large red circles intertwine with the next and can cause confusion to many people.

EXPAND

The crowd stirred with confusion and the stadium quieted.

Confusion about the nature of the so-called information age has led to a state of collective false consciousness.

The large red circles intertwine with the next and can cause confusion to many people.

Somewhere in all this information may lie clues to help scientists cut through much of today's confusion.

The root of these heart-wrenching fluctuations between cognizance and confusion has eluded scientists for years.

Plants may seem to lead simple lives, but their genes can be a blooming confusion.

Not only is the phrase a bit ominous, it's also a source of confusion.

Canada has been thrown into quite a bit of confusion by this report, with some provinces holding off on seasonal flu vaccines.

Dementia that occurs with metabolic disorders may cause confusion and changes in intellect or reasoning.

The rest will be at various stages of boredom, frustration, or confusion.

Confusion arises because there are competing indices, including different currencies with different weights.

The range of organic probiotic drinks to choose from can cause confusion.

In the meantime, try sitting in a different room from where your confusion is.

Henry attempts to come to terms with the confusion he feels over his dual racial heritage.

The blog post signals further confusion from a company in upheaval.

But in the hearing world, from blogosphere to op-ed page, observers expressed confusion about what the issues really were and why.

Confusion about the implications of the new measures is not restricted to anxious pensioners.

Confusion and criticisms are already swirling amidst excitement over the findings.

I've read the paper and there is actually no confusion in the terminology.

The slaves found it even more amusing to use the confusion of carnival as an occasion for uprisings.

CakeHealth aims to cut through the confusion of dealing with health care.

But somehow it hits the right note online because it cuts down on the confusion for students.

The confusion of those things has led to mistaken conclusions being drawn from it.

The labels free-range and cage-free can cause confusion.

But for scholars of language evolution, this apparent singularity was a source of confusion.

Others may have taken advantage of the confusion by playing dumb and not filling out every blank properly.

Although the act has succeeded in helping many genuinely disabled people into jobs, it has also sown huge confusion.

I'll waste no time in introducing myself to avoid the potential confusion.

Like people, mice sometimes show signs of general confusion and memory loss after surgery.

Even advocates of the reforms express some confusion about where things stand.

Other firms have sought to capitalise on the confusion.

The differing findings have caused confusion and acrimony in communities where drilling is under way.

Mammography's shortcomings have spawned controversy and confusion.

The result for the reader is confusion and inconvenience.

Yet multiple use of an abbreviation only creates confusion.

These representations are often limited and can't quite reveal the humor, boredom, and confusion inherent in combat.

There is further confusion in linking the heart with the center of emotion.

The drug companies are making billions on this confusion.

All intelligent design has to do to be effective is create confusion about the validity of evolutionary theory.

Worst, the confusion builds on a sense of a government that is impetuous and inept, rather than bold.

You've heard it before: good gardeners take the trouble to learn botanical names so there won't be any confusion about what they.

One problem that won't be solved is customer confusion.

There's some confusion over when the two sides will resume talking.

Cesar teaches an owner how her nervous energy is contributing to the confusion of her blind pup.

Commission members issue rival reports, causing confusion and loss of credibility.

One strategy is for a single hyena to cause confusion in the herd.

One fundamental mistake that permeates the educational system is the confusion between memorization and knowledge.

And spotty coverage isn't the only factor contributing to consumer confusion.

The same kind of confusion is at the root of debates on faculty productivity.

But molecules and fossils don't always agree, and this has created a lot of confusion for the turtle.

Maybe it is a simulation of the pain and confusion of living as a member of an endangered species.

But other witnesses said the lack of a centralized federal program creates confusion and extra work for states.

The first thought through my head was confusion as to why a tarpon would be that far north.

What happened next has disappeared into an anguished blur of guilt and confusion.

It's a confusion in categories that betrays a breakdown in logic which has confused issues of causation.

The reading strategies give students tools to limit and control confusion.

One reason for confusion is simply that both fields involve creating embryos.

To be a scientist is to commit to a life of confusion punctuated by rare moments of clarity.

There is confusion about the point at which the withholding tax might be deducted.

To the north, land and sea meet in a confusion of islands and waterways.

His mission is to try to remove some of the confusion over the climate debate by explaining why uncertainty has to be a.

There is of course a confusion of different rates and options, but it boils down to this:.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding rules for monitoring suspicious transactions.

In the same way, readers may have to deal with confusion if they don't understand what they read.

However, there seems to be some confusion of cause and effect here.

Thick, dry, black and white manuscripts are rarely a source of inspiration and sometimes can cause loads of confusion.

Indeed, having too many leaders with conflicting opinions results in confusion.

These loopholes and general confusion allowed uncontrolled logging and export to take place.

Confusion results by not recognizing limitations of knowledge.

Earleywine said that men who are attracted to children tend to exhibit poor social skills and confusion on how dating works.

Much more damaging is widespread confusion among sukuk investors about the sorts of risks they were really taking.

The condition of the spent fuel pools has been a source of rising anxiety and confusion since the crisis began.

The stern face across the room, picking up on their confusion through a trick in the apartment's acoustics, broke into a smile.

The confusion is whether the index is saying more about the supply of ships than the demand for their cargoes.

The cause of the illnesses was a matter of confusion and fearful rumor.

The confusion expressed here about strength vs weight is in part the result of how the point was originally presented.

Rather, will create a mess and confusion in your mind.

Sit awhile and clear the mind of whatever it senses, and think of nothing, will help to clear the confusion of the mind.

Apologies for any confusion caused by the original wording.

In truth the whole problem goes much deeper than a simple confusion of scientific terminology.

It also causes occasional short-term memory confusion.

The previous reply was a continuation to bucketofsquid sorry for any confusion.

There seems to be some confusion or misuse of the term redundant links and connections.

There is also considerable public confusion about climate science and possible remedies.

Confusion has developed about the naming of these two stages.

Proof of this confusion is this subject, along with religion.

The new genotyping companies claim to cut through the confusion by delivering high-quality, responsible science.

We added a parenthetical in the introductory text to clear up any confusion over who is pictured.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

confusion (kənˈfjuːʒən)

—n
1.	the act of confusing or the state of being confused
2.	disorder; jumble
3.	bewilderment; perplexity
4.	lack of clarity; indistinctness
5.	embarrassment; abashment

con'fusional

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

confusion

late 13c., "overthrow, ruin," from O.Fr. confusion (11c.), from L. confusionem, noun of action from confundere "to pour together," also "to confuse" (see confound). Sense of "a putting to shame" (a sort of mental "overthrow") is mid-14c., while that of "mental perplexity" is from 1590s.

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

confusion con·fu·sion (kən-fy&oomacr;'zhən)
n.
Impaired orientation with respect to time, place, or person; a disturbed mental state.

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Matching Quote

"... the first step of the terrible journey toward feeling somebody should act, that ends in utter confusion and hopelessness, east of the sun and west of the moon."

-John Ashbery

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