perplexity

[ per-plek-si-tee ]

noun

, plural per·plex·i·ties.

1. the state of being perplexed; perplexed; confusion; uncertainty.
2. something that perplexes:

   a case plagued with perplexities.

3. a tangled, involved, or confused condition or situation.

perplexity

/ pəˈplɛksɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of being perplexed
2. the state of being intricate or complicated
3. something that perplexes

Word History and Origins

Origin of perplexity¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English perplexite, from Old French, from Late Latin perplexitās, from Latin perplex(us) ( perplexed ) + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

The CEO of the generative-A.I. app Perplexity—which received a cease-and-desist letter from the Times last month asking it to stop using NYT prose for data-training purposes—offered to help the paper ensure that “essential coverage is available to all during the election” and requested that Sulzberger message him.

From Slate

Not only was he using ChatGPT like his team, but Zapier to track team tasks, and Perplexity to supplement client research.

From BBC

The result is a new “Campus Guide to Identifying Antisemitism in a Time of Perplexity.”

From Los Angeles Times

To this end, the app recently teamed up with the artificial intelligence bot Perplexity to offer up-to-date news summaries of events offered up for bets.

From Slate

Separately, last month Forbes threatened legal action against AI startup Perplexity, accusing it of plagiarism.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bewilderment
• puzzlement