Added 9 October 2026
obfuscate
/ˈɒbfəskeɪt/ verb
Latin root: obfuscātus First recorded: 1487 Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about obfuscate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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To make dark; to overshadow.
The squid's ink obfuscated its presence.
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To deliberately make more confusing in order to conceal the truth.
obfuscate facts
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To alter code while preserving its behavior but concealing its structure and intent.
We need to obfuscate these classes before we ship the final release.
adjective
Origin
The adjective is first attested in 1487, in Middle English, the verb in 1536; either borrowed from Middle French obfusquer, offusquer, from Old French offusquer, or directly from Late Latin obfuscātus, offuscātus, the perfect passive participle of obfuscō, offuscō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin ob- + fuscō (“to darken”). Doublet of dusken (“to darken, make obscure”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)