The Complete Vocabulary Builder Workbook

obfuscate

IPA:

Dictionary definition of obfuscate

To intentionally make something unclear, obscure, or difficult to understand.
"The politician's statements were seen as an attempt to obfuscate the truth."

Detailed meaning of obfuscate

It is often used to describe language or communication that is intentionally made vague or confusing in order to conceal the true meaning or intent. Obfuscation can be used to hide the real nature of something, to make it harder to understand or to make it harder to follow the logic or reasoning. This can be done through the use of technical jargon, complex sentence structure, or by providing too much information. Obfuscation can also be used to mislead or deceive, for example, a company may use obfuscation to hide negative information about their products or services. In general, obfuscation is a technique used to make something less transparent and harder to understand, whether it's for the purpose of concealment, deception or simply to make something more complex.

Example sentences containing obfuscate

1. Politicians sometimes obfuscate the truth to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.
2. The cryptic message was meant to obfuscate, leaving investigators puzzled.
3. Complex jargon can obfuscate important information in technical manuals.
4. The suspect tried to obfuscate his involvement in the crime by providing false alibis.
5. The fog began to obfuscate the path, making navigation treacherous.
6. Some companies obfuscate their financial statements to hide their true financial health.

History and etymology of obfuscate

The verb 'obfuscate' has its origins in Latin, specifically from the word 'obfuscatus,' which is the past participle of 'obfuscare.' This Latin term is a combination of 'ob' meaning 'over' or 'against,' and 'fuscare,' derived from 'fuscus,' which means 'dark' or 'dingy.' Therefore, etymologically, 'obfuscate' can be understood as 'to darken over' or 'to make dark.' This aligns with its modern usage, where it means to intentionally make something unclear, obscure, or difficult to understand by figuratively casting a shadow over it. The word's etymology underscores the deliberate act of creating confusion or opacity in order to obscure the true nature or meaning of something.

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Further usage examples of obfuscate

1. The magician used misdirection to obfuscate the audience's view of his tricks.
2. His attempt to obfuscate the issue only raised more suspicions.
3. The lawyer's clever arguments were designed to obfuscate the case's true merits.
4. Conspiracy theories often obfuscate the facts with misinformation.
5. Advertisers sometimes use flashy graphics to obfuscate the mediocre quality of a product.
6. The government's decision to redact the report only served to obfuscate the truth.
7. A web of lies can obfuscate even the simplest of truths.
8. The dense foliage obfuscated the view of the hidden temple.
9. In a heated debate, people may obfuscate the main points with emotional arguments.
10. The hacker attempted to obfuscate their digital trail, but forensic experts uncovered it.
11. Narcissists often obfuscate their insecurities by projecting a confident exterior.
12. Some writers deliberately obfuscate their prose to appear more intellectual.
13. The company's convoluted policies were meant to obfuscate customers' rights.
14. The defendant's attempt to obfuscate the evidence failed, leading to a conviction.
15. He tried to obfuscate the issue by giving vague answers.
16. She accused the company of trying to obfuscate their responsibility.
17. He was accused of trying to obfuscate the details of the project.
18. She tried to obfuscate the problems with her argument by using jargon.
19. The lawyer's line of questioning was seen as an attempt to obfuscate the witness's testimony.
20. The loan contract was packed with legal words intended to obfuscate unsuspecting borrowers.
21. He tried to obfuscate the results of the study by using complex statistics.
22. She accused the company of trying to obfuscate the environmental impact of their operations.
23. The politician's speeches were seen as an attempt to obfuscate the real issues.
24. He was accused of trying to obfuscate the budget details.
25. She tried to obfuscate the reasons for her decision by giving vague explanations
26. The report's language was seen as an attempt to obfuscate the findings.