First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
commotion
noun com·mo·tion \kə-ˈmō-shən\
: noisy excitement and confusion
Full Definition of COMMOTION
1
: a condition of civil unrest or insurrection
2
: steady or recurrent motion
3
: mental excitement or confusion
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Origin of COMMOTION
Middle English, from Anglo-French commocion, from Latin commotion-, commotio, from commovēre
Related to COMMOTION
- Synonyms
- ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter [chiefly dialect], coil, corroboree [Australian], disturbance, do [chiefly dialect], foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha (also hoo-hah), hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry (or hurry-skurry), kerfuffle [chiefly British], moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore [Scottish], squall, stew, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, uproar, welter, whirl, williwaw, zoo
Rhymes with COMMOTION
COMMOTION Defined for Kids
commotion
noun com·mo·tion \kə-ˈmō-shən\
Definition of COMMOTION for Kids
: noisy excitement and confusion : turmoil
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