noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
WisconsinRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, dialectal:/ˌɒb.fəˈskeɪ.ʃən/of the US
Australian:/ˌɔb.fəˈskæɪ.ʃən/
New-Zealand:/ˌɒb.fəˈskæɪ.ʃən/
New-Zealand:[ˌɔ̟b.fəˈskæɪ.ʃən]
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:AA2 B F AH0 S K EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something; the concept of concealing the meaning of a communication by making it more confusing and harder to interpret.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: formal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something; the concept of concealing the meaning of a communication by making it more confusing and harder to interpret.
The alteration of computer code to preserve its behavior while concealing its structure and intent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
You need to turn on obfuscation for these classes.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Confusion, bewilderment, or a baffled state resulting from something obfuscated, or made more opaque and muddled with the intent to obscure information.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: formal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A single instance of intentionally obscuring the meaning of something to make it more difficult to grasp.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, formal
Examples
During the debate, the candidate sighed at his opponent's obfuscations.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
darkening or obscuring the sight of something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: blackening, darkening
6
noun
Meaning 6
the activity of obscuring people's understanding, leaving them baffled or bewildered
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mystification
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: activity
7
noun
Meaning 7
confusion resulting from failure to understand
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From Middle English obfuscacioun, from Latin obfuscātiō, obfuscātiōnem, from obfuscāre (“to darken”), from ob (“over”) + fuscāre (“to make dark”), from fuscus (“dark”).
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
замъгляване
(zamǎgljavane)
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
French:
obscurcissement
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
German:
Verdunkelung
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
German:
Vernebelung
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
German:
Verschleierung
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
Greek:
συσκότιση
(syskótisi)
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
Portuguese:
ofuscamento
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
Turkish:
gizleme
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
Turkish:
perde çekme
— act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something
Bulgarian:
объркване
(obǎrkvane)
— confusion, bewilderment, or a baffled state resulting from something obfuscated
German:
Verdunkelung
— confusion, bewilderment, or a baffled state resulting from something obfuscated
German:
Vernebelung
— confusion, bewilderment, or a baffled state resulting from something obfuscated
Greek:
συσκότιση
(syskótisi)
— confusion, bewilderment, or a baffled state resulting from something obfuscated
Greek:
σύγχυση
(sýnchysi)
— confusion, bewilderment, or a baffled state resulting from something obfuscated
Portuguese:
ofuscamento
— confusion, bewilderment, or a baffled state resulting from something obfuscated
Turkish:
şaşırtma
— confusion, bewilderment, or a baffled state resulting from something obfuscated
German:
Vernebelung
— intentionally obscuring the meaning of something to make it more difficult to grasp
German:
Verschleierung
— intentionally obscuring the meaning of something to make it more difficult to grasp
Greek:
θόλωση
(thólosi)
— intentionally obscuring the meaning of something to make it more difficult to grasp
Portuguese:
ofuscamento
— intentionally obscuring the meaning of something to make it more difficult to grasp
Turkish:
perde çekme
— intentionally obscuring the meaning of something to make it more difficult to grasp
Turkish:
şaşırtma
— intentionally obscuring the meaning of something to make it more difficult to grasp
French:
obfuscation
— alter computer code, preserving its behavior but concealing its structure and intent
German:
Entstellung
— alter computer code, preserving its behavior but concealing its structure and intent
