different between perplexity vs confusion

English

Etymology

perplex +? -ity, from Middle French perplexité or post-classical Latin perplexitas ‘entanglement’, from perplexus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p??pl?ks?ti/
• (US) IPA^(key): /p???pl?ks?di/

Noun

perplexity (countable and uncountable, plural perplexities)

1. The state or quality of being perplexed; puzzled or confused.
2. Something that perplexes.
   • 1942, Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (Canongate 2006), page 149:

     The Emperor, who was by then a focus of unresolvable perplexities, stood providing a strongly contrary appearance.

3. In information theory, a measurement of how well a probability distribution or model predicts a sample.

Translations

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French confusion, from Latin confusio, confusionem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?n?fju???n/
• Rhymes: -u???n

Noun

confusion (usually uncountable, plural confusions)

1. A lack of clarity or order.
2. The state of being confused; misunderstanding.
3. The act of mistaking one thing for another or conflating distinct things.
4. Lack of understanding due to dementia.
5. (archaic) A state of shame or embarrassment.

Synonyms

• (lack of clarity or order): discombobulation
• (state of being confused): bewilderment, disarray

Antonyms

• (lack of clarity or order): clarity
• (misunderstanding): distinction

Translations

French

Etymology

From Middle French confusion, from Old French confusion, borrowed from Latin confusio, confusionem, from verb confundo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.fy.zj??/

Noun

confusion f (plural confusions)

1. confusion

Derived terms

• prêter à confusion

Further reading

• “confusion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French confusion.

Noun

confusion f (plural confusions)

1. confusion

Descendants

• French: confusion

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin confusio, confusionem.

Noun

confusion f (oblique plural confusions, nominative singular confusion, nominative plural confusions)

1. spread (act or instance of spreading)

Descendants

• English: confusion
• Middle French: confusion
  • French: confusion