Confundate

Confundate is an English verb that denotes the act of confusing someone or something, or of causing two or more things to be mixed together in a way that makes distinctions hard to discern. The term can apply to cognitive confusion in a listener, or to data, statements, or objects that are blended, resulting in ambiguity or error.

Etymology and status: Confundate appears to be a rare or nonce coinage derived from the Latin confundere, meaning to pour together or mix. English speakers sometimes form -ate verbs from base verbs, producing confundate as an analog to confuse or confound. It is not widely attested in standard dictionaries and is generally regarded as nonstandard or playful by lexicographers.

Usage and sense: Because confundate is uncommon, preferred terms are confuse, perplex, confound, muddle, or obfuscate depending on the intended meaning. It may appear in poetic, humorous, or experimental prose, or in discussions of language as a neologism. In most formal writing, confundate should be avoided or clearly defined if used.

Examples: The two reports confundated the committee, making it difficult to determine what actually happened. The spreadsheet’s inconsistent formulas confundated the calculations, leading to erroneous projections.