Merriam - Webster Word of the day *confection*

confection

noun

con·​fec·​tion kən-ˈfek-shən 


Synonyms of confection


1

: the act or process of confecting

2

: something confected: such as
a
: a fancy dish or sweetmeat
also : a sweet food
b
: a medicinal preparation usually made with sugar, syrup, or honey
c
: a work of fine or elaborate craftsmanship
d
: a light but entertaining theatrical, cinematic, or literary work

Did you know?

As a wise blue monster with a famous sweet tooth once noted, “c” is for cookie. And sure, that’s good enough for us, but sometimes the moment calls for a wide variety of delectables, not just cookies. In such times, you might remember that “c” is also for confection. Confection is a word that refers to something confected—that is, put together—from several different ingredients or elements. Often confections are sweet and edible, but confection can also be used to refer to a finely worked piece of craftsmanship. In other words, the lacy box containing chocolate confections can be a confection itself. Tracing back to the Latin verb conficere (“to carry out, perform, make, bring about, collect, bring to completion”), confection entered Middle English as the word confeccioun, meaning “preparation by mixing ingredients; something prepared by mixing, such as a medicine or dish of food,” and has since taken on additional, often figurative meanings in English in the ensuing centuries, as in “the beloved musical confection ‘C is for Cookie.’”

Synonyms

• sweet
  
• sweetmeat
  

Examples of confection in a Sentence

an assortment of delicious cakes and other confections following the main course there were assorted confections so delicious-looking as to tempt even determined dieters

Recent Examples on the Web But it is not intended to ban foods such as Skittles, Gabriel said, so Californians probably do not need to worry that the colorful confections will disappear from store shelves. —
Christian Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023 The pits in the cherries add a subtle almond flavor to the confection when baked. — Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2023 Over the decades, Burton fostered a loyal clientele with her grand confections and precise tailoring. —
Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confection.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology
Middle English confeccioun "preparation by mixing ingredients, something prepared by mixing, as a medicine or dish of food," borrowed from Anglo-French confectiun, confeccion, borrowed from Medieval Latin confectiōn-, confectiō, going back to Latin, "making ready for use, preparation," from conficere "to carry out, perform, make, bring about, collect, bring to completion" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at confect
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of confection was in the 15th century