obfuscate
OB-fus-kayt
/ˈɒb.fʌs.keɪt/
To deliberately make something unclear or difficult to understand.
Usually involves using complex language or irrelevant data to hide the truth.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'obfuscare', which means 'to darken'. Think of throwing a dark cloth over a light so that nobody can see what is happening.
Word relationships
- obscure: Obscure can be a state of being; obfuscate is the active process of making it that way.
- clarify: To make something clear and easy to understand.
Commonly confused with
- confuse: To confuse is the result; to obfuscate is the method used to achieve that result.
Word family
- obfuscation (noun): The act of making something unclear.
- obfuscatory (adjective): Tending to obfuscate.
Collocations
- obfuscate the truth
- obfuscate the issue
- deliberately obfuscate
Idioms & expressions
- muddy the waters
Example sentences
- "The contract was written in such dense legalese that it seemed designed to obfuscate the company's liabilities." Critique of a legal document.
- "The report used technical jargon to obfuscate the fact that carbon emissions had actually increased." Environmental reporting.
Memory hook
If you 'obfuscate', you create a 'fog' (fus) that 'obstructs' (ob) the view. Creating a fog over the facts.
When not to use
Do not use if someone is just being naturally confusing; it implies a deliberate attempt to 'muddy the waters'.
Fun facts
- In computer science, 'code obfuscation' is a legitimate practice used to make software harder to reverse-engineer.
Related words
Explore more words
equivocate, cryptic, opaque, prevarication, prevaricate, obtuse
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