I. (ˈ)äb|fəˌskāt, əbˈf-, -_skə̇t, usu -d.+V adjective
Etymology: Late Latin obfuscatus, offuscatus, past participle of obfuscare, offuscare to darken
: obfuscated
II. äbˈfəˌskāt, əbˈf; ˈäb(ˌ)fəˌ-; usu -ād.+V transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Late Latin obfuscatus, offuscatus, past participle of obfuscare, offuscare to darken, from Latin ob-, of- over, completely + fuscare to darken, from fuscus dark brown, blackish — more at ob- , dusk
1. : confuse , becloud ; especially : to cause confusion in the mind of
to give the reader all the facts and yet obfuscate him as to meaning
2. : to make obscure:
a. : to make difficult of comprehension or interpretation
the small facts could not be ignored without obfuscating the main dramatic purpose
b. : to make unnecessarily complex usually to the point of confusion
his use of symbolism became a mere mechanical device for obfuscating the commonplace and intelligible
3. : to throw into shadow : make difficult to see : darken
Synonyms: see obscure