confusion

noun6

1. •
   a state of mind in which nothing seems clear and one thing gets mixed up with another

   • Forgive these wild and wandering cries, ⁠Confusions of a wasted youth; ⁠Forgive them where they fail in truth, And in thy wisdom make me wise. — 1850
2. •
   Lack of understanding due to dementia.
3. •
   A lack of clarity or order.

   • But much of the federal workforce is located outside the nation’s capital, and Trump’s offer was met with confusion and skepticism in many of those offices. — 2025
4. •
   The act of mistaking one thing for another or conflating distinct things.

   • Confusion of sex and gender continues when she begins to address what the sex-change operation achieves. — 1996
5. •
   (rare) A group of wildebeest.

   • A group of wildebeest is called a confusion. — 2019
6. •
   (no longer used) A state of shame or embarrassment.

   • Lady Bellaston fixed her eyes on Sophia whilst she spoke these words. To which that poor young lady, having her face overspread with blushes and confusion, answered, in a stammering voice […] — 1749