- [uncountable, countable] a state of not being certain about what is happening, what you should do, what something means, etc.
- The announcement caused a lot of confusion.
- confusion about/over something There is some confusion about what the correct procedure should be.
- confusion as to something There was a confusion as to what to do next.
Extra ExamplesTopics Doubt, guessing and certaintyb2- The announcement caused a lot of confusion among the students.
- The government needs to clear up the confusion surrounding its policy on water.
- There has been considerable confusion regarding the facts of her death.
- a few key tips to help you avoid any confusion
- There is widespread confusion about the government's health policy.
- confusion as to the whereabouts of the man
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- total
- utter
- …
- avoid
- prevent
- cause
- …
- arise
- reign
- surround something
- …
- in (the) confusion
- confusion about
- confusion over
- …
- a scene of confusion
- a state of confusion
- to avoid confusion
- …
- [uncountable, countable] the fact of making a mistake about who somebody is or what something is
- To avoid confusion, please write the children's names clearly on all their school clothes.
- confusion between A and B confusion between letters of the alphabet like ‘o’ or ‘a’
Extra Examples- I kept my own last name when I got married to prevent confusion.
- They are very hard to tell apart, so the confusion is understandable.
- To avoid confusion, label each box clearly.
- medication labels that minimize confusion
- the confusion of this book with her last one
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- total
- utter
- …
- avoid
- prevent
- cause
- …
- arise
- reign
- surround something
- …
- in (the) confusion
- confusion about
- confusion over
- …
- a scene of confusion
- a state of confusion
- to avoid confusion
- …
- [uncountable] a situation in which you feel embarrassed because you do not understand something and are not sure what to do
- in confusion He looked at me in confusion and did not answer the question.
- Sacha felt confusion sweeping over her as she read the letter.
Extra Examples- She stared at them both in utter confusion.
- I could sense her confusion and frustration.
- His expression was one of pure confusion.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- total
- utter
- …
- avoid
- prevent
- cause
- …
- arise
- reign
- surround something
- …
- in (the) confusion
- confusion about
- confusion over
- …
- a scene of confusion
- a state of confusion
- to avoid confusion
- …
- [uncountable] a confused situation in which people do not know what action to take
- Fighting had broken out and all was chaos and confusion.
- Her unexpected arrival threw us into total confusion.
Extra Examples- His cross caused confusion in the penalty box.
- The protesters set off smoke bombs to create confusion and panic.
- She managed to escape in the confusion.
- This latest decision has only added to the general confusion.
- The local council has been thrown into total confusion by her resignation.
- In the confusion that followed, she managed to slip away unnoticed.
- Confusion reigned when the two managers gave conflicting instructions.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- total
- utter
- …
- avoid
- prevent
- cause
- …
- arise
- reign
- surround something
- …
- in (the) confusion
- confusion about
- confusion over
- …
- a scene of confusion
- a state of confusion
- to avoid confusion
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: from Latin confusio(n-), from the verb confundere ‘mingle together’.
Check pronunciation:
confusion