困惑、名詞の意味、語源など | オックスフォード英語辞典

perplexity, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary Skip to main content Factsheet Etymology Meaning & use Pronunciation Forms Frequency Compounds & derived words Dictionary Historical Thesaurus Factsheet Quotations Hide all quotations Factsheet What does the noun perplexity mean? There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun perplexity . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. See meaning & use How common is the noun perplexity ? About 1 occurrence per million words in modern written English 1750 7.6 1760 7.9 1770 8.5 1780 8.4 1790 8.3 1800 7.9 1810 8.1 1820 8.3 1830 8.5 1840 8.3 1850 8.2 1860 8.0 1870 7.5 1880 6.9 1890 6.3 1900 5.5 1910 4.7 1920 4.0 1930 3.3 1940 2.8 1950 2.3 1960 2.0 1970 1.6 1980 1.3 1990 1.2 2000 1.2 2010 1.3 See frequency What is the etymology of the noun perplexity ? perplexity is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French . Partly a borrowing from Latin . Etymons: French perplexité ; Latin perplexitas . See etymology What is the earliest known use of the noun perplexity ? Earliest known use Middle English The earliest known use of the noun perplexity is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for perplexity is from before 1393, in the writing of John Gower, poet. See meaning & use How is the noun perplexity pronounced? British English /pəˈplɛksᵻti/ puh-PLECK-suh-tee U.S. English /pərˈplɛksədi/ puhr-PLECK-suh-dee See pronunciation Nearby entries perplexedly, adv. 1587– perplexedness, n. a1586– perplexer, n. 1611– perplexful, adj. 1618–33 perplexibility, n. 1592 perplexing, n. a1649– perplexing, adj. 1585– perplexingly, adv. 1795– perplexion, n. ?c1500– perplexitive, n. & adj. 1465–1709 perplexity, n. a1393– perplexive, adj. a1637– perplexiveness, n. 1659 perplexly, adv. 1670 perplexment, n. 1826– perplication, n. 1656–1853 perpolished, adj. 1616 perpolite, adj. 1592–1648 perponder, v. 1599 perpotation, n. 1623–1878 per primam intentionem, adv. 1830– Browse more nearby entries Etymology Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content. 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View our subscription options Personal account Access or purchase personal subscriptions Get our newsletter Save searches Set display preferences Sign in Register Institutional access Sign in through your institution Sign in with library card Sign in with username / password Recommend to your librarian Institutional account management Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic Entry history for perplexity, n. perplexity, n. was revised in December 2005. perplexity, n. was last modified in March 2026. Revision of the OED is a long-term project, and oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include: corrections and revisions to definitions, especially to improve clarity, accuracy, or intelligibility; new or updated quotation evidence, and reverified or redated bibliographical information; new or updated pronunciations (transcriptions and audio files); new or revised etymological information and improved coverage of variant spellings; new senses or phrases added in print and online updates since OED2 (1989). Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into perplexity, n. in March 2026. Earlier versions of this entry were published in: OED First Edition (1905) Find out more OED Second Edition (1989) Find out more View perplexity in OED Second Edition Cite Permanent link: Chicago 18 Oxford English Dictionary , “ ,” , . Copy to clipboard Copied to clipboard MLA 9 “ ” Oxford English Dictionary , Oxford UP, , . Copy to clipboard Copied to clipboard APA 7 Oxford University Press. (n.d.). In Oxford English dictionary . Retrieved , from Copy to clipboard Copied to clipboard Select format to download citation .ris (Papers, Zotero) .enw (EndNote) .txt (RefWorks) Download Contribute Please submit your feedback for perplexity, n. Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose. Section (required) Factsheet Etymology Meaning & use Pronunciation Forms Frequency Compounds & derived words Other Feedback (required) Submit Citation details Factsheet for perplexity, n. Browse entry Nearby entries perplexedly, adv. 1587– perplexedness, n. a1586– perplexer, n. 1611– perplexful, adj. 1618–33 perplexibility, n. 1592 perplexing, n. a1649– perplexing, adj. 1585– perplexingly, adv. 1795– perplexion, n. ?c1500– perplexitive, n. & adj. 1465–1709 perplexity, n. a1393– perplexive, adj. a1637– perplexiveness, n. 1659 perplexly, adv. 1670 perplexment, n. 1826– perplication, n. 1656–1853 perpolished, adj. 1616 perpolite, adj. 1592–1648 perponder, v. 1599 perpotation, n. 1623–1878 per primam intentionem, adv. 1830– Browse more nearby entries