obfuscate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈɑbfəskeɪt/ UK /ˈɒbfʌskeɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to make obscure, unclear, or unintelligible, often deliberately

The contract's jargon seemed designed to obfuscate its real terms.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make obscure, unclear,... obscure confuse muddle cloud blurbefogcomplicate

Opposites

clarify illuminate elucidate clear simplify

Word family

Forms obfuscated

Derived forms obfuscationobfuscatorobfuscatory

Etymology

From Late Latin obfuscatus, past participle of obfuscare ('to darken'), from ob- ('over') plus fuscare ('to make dark'), from fuscus ('dark').

obfuscare Late Latin fuscus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# obfuscate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈɑbfəskeɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɒbfʌskeɪt/

## Meanings
1. to make obscure, unclear, or unintelligible, often deliberately

## Examples
- The contract's jargon seemed designed to obfuscate its real terms.

## Synonyms
- obscure
- confuse
- muddle
- cloud
- blur
- befog
- complicate

## Antonyms
- clarify
- illuminate
- elucidate
- clear
- simplify

## Derived Forms
- obfuscation
- obfuscator
- obfuscatory

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: obfuscare
- Root: fuscus

## Etymology
From Late Latin obfuscatus, past participle of obfuscare ('to darken'), from ob- ('over') plus fuscare ('to make dark'), from fuscus ('dark').

## AI Etymology
Obfuscate comes from Late Latin obfuscatus, past participle of obfuscare ('to darken'), from ob- ('over') plus fuscare ('to make dark'), from fuscus ('dark'). The etymological trail includes Late Latin obfuscare and Latin fuscus. As a verb, obfuscate means to make obscure, unclear, or unintelligible, often deliberately. The same family is visible in derived forms such as obfuscation, obfuscator, and obfuscatory.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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