perplexity

English

Etymology

From Middle English perplexite, borrowed from Middle French perplexité or post-classical Latin perplexitās, from perplexus (“entangled”). By surface analysis, perplex +‎ -ity.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /pəˈplɛksɪti/
  • (US) IPA(key): /pəɹˈplɛksəti/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

perplexity (countable and uncountable, plural perplexities)

  1. The state or quality of being perplexed.
    Synonyms: puzzlement, bewilderment, confusion
  2. Something that perplexes.
    • 1942, Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, Canongate, published 2006, page 149:
      The Emperor, who was by then a focus of unresolvable perplexities, stood providing a strongly contrary appearance.
  3. (information theory) A measure of the accuracy with which a probability distribution or model predicts a sample.

Translations

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