different between obfuscate vs obnubilate

English

Etymology

From the participle stem of Late Latin obfusc?re, from Latin ob- + fusc?re, present active infinitive of fusc? (“I darken”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??bf?ske?t/, /??bf?ske?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /???bf?ske?t/, /???bf?ske?t/

Verb

obfuscate (third-person singular simple present obfuscates, present participle obfuscating, simple past and past participle obfuscated)

1. To make dark; overshadow
2. To deliberately make more confusing in order to conceal the truth.
   • 2018, Anonymous White House Official, "White House reels as FBI director contradicts official claims about alleged abuser," Washington Post, February 13, 2018:

     When asked if Kelly could have been more transparent or truthful, that official wrote: “In this White House, it’s simply not in our DNA. Truthful and transparent is great, but we don’t even have a coherent strategy to obfuscate.”

   Before leaving the scene, the murderer set a fire in order to obfuscate any evidence of their identity.

3. (computing) To alter code while preserving its behavior but concealing its structure and intent.

Synonyms

• (to make dark): darken, eclipse, overshadow
• (to deliberately make more confusing): confuse, muddle, obscure

Antonyms

• (to deliberately make less confusing): explain, simplify

Derived terms

• obfuscatable
• unobfuscatable

Related terms

• obfuscation
• obfuscatory
• obfuscous

Translations

Adjective

obfuscate (comparative more obfuscate, superlative most obfuscate)

1. (obsolete) Obfuscated; darkened; obscured.
   • 1531, Thomas Elyot, The Boke named the Governour

     Also the vertues beynge in a cruell persone be nat only obfuscate or hyd : But also lyke wyse as norysshynge meates and drynkes in an sycke body

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin obn?bil?tus, perfect passive participle of obn?bil? (“cover with clouds or fog”), from ob- +? n?bil? (“be cloudy”), from n?b?s (“cloud”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)newd?- (“to cover”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?nju?b?l?t/

Adjective

obnubilate (comparative more obnubilate, superlative most obnubilate)

1. (obsolete) Covered or darkened as with a cloud; overclouded; obscured.
   • 1575, John Rolland (aut.), W. Gregor (ed.), Ane Treatise callit the Court of Venvs (1884), bk 1, ll. 244–251 (p. 23):

   • 1610, John Healey (tr.), S^t. Augu?tine, of the Citie of God, bk 19, ch. 4, p. 758:

   • 1630, John Taylor, All the Workes of John Taylor the Water-poet, epigram 36, p. 266/1:

   • 1860, George William Bagby (aut., ed.), “Editor’s Table” in The Southern Literary Messenger XXXI (N.S. X), p. 74:

Translations

References

• “†?Obnu·bilate, ppl. a.” in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (1st edition), volume VII (O, P; 1909), § i (O, ed. James Augustus Henry Murray), page 25/3
• “† obnubilate, adj.” in the Oxford English Dictionary (3rd edition, March 2004)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin obn?bil?, as above.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?nju?b?le?t/

Verb

obnubilate (third-person singular simple present obnubilates, present participle obnubilating, simple past and past participle obnubilated)

1. (obsolete) To obscure, to shadow.
2. To make cloudy.

Derived terms

• obnubilated (adjective)

References

• “Obnubilate, v.” in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (1st edition), volume VII (O, P; 1909), § i (O, ed. James Augustus Henry Murray), page 25/3
• “obnubilate, v.” in the Oxford English Dictionary (3rd edition, March 2004)

Related terms

• obnubilation
• obnubilous

Italian

Verb

obnubilate

1. second-person plural present indicative of obnubilare
2. second-person plural imperative of obnubilare
3. feminine plural of obnubilato