Obfuscation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɒb.fəˈskeɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. The act or process of making something difficult to understand or unclear, often deliberately to hide meaning
2. A process by which clarity is reduced in communication or information, leading to confusion or misunderstanding
3. The state of causing something to be obscure or less comprehensible, frequently used to conceal the truth or intent

Etymology: Latin "fuscus" meant dark, dusky, or brownish-black, and the verb "obfuscare" built on it meant literally to darken something by casting shadow over it. The prefix "ob-" carries the sense of "over" or "against," so the original image is of something being shrouded in gloom. English borrowed the idea through Middle English "obfuscacioun," and for centuries the word kept that physical flavour of dimming or dulling light. The shift from shadow to muddle happened gradually. Once something was darkened, it became hard to see, and "obfuscate" came to describe obscuring a meaning rather than a view. The modern noun "obfuscation" therefore names the act of deliberately or carelessly making a message harder to understand, so that a clear point gets lost in a fog of words.

Synonyms: confusion, muddling, bewilderment, ambiguity, clouding

Antonyms: clarity, lucidity, explanation, enlightenment, simplicity