commotion

commotion, upheaval

noun koh-moh-SYOHN Rare

Origin: from Latin 'commotio'

Also means

concussion (medical)

Usage Note

commotion covers both a social or emotional upheaval (une commotion dans la foule = a stir in the crowd) and the medical term for a brain concussion (une commotion cérébrale). The medical sense is the most technical but very common in clinical French. The verb commotionner means to shake up or concuss.

Examples

"L'accident a provoqué une grande commotion."

Natural Translation

The accident caused a great commotion.

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