in characteristic disorder or confusion; mixed up as usual
Origin of snafu
origin, originally mil. slang for s(ituation) n(ormal), a(ll) f(ucked) u(p)transitive verb
-·fued′, -·fu′ing to throw into confusion
a mix-up, mishap, mistake, etc.
The police arrest an innocent man due to a snafu in procedure by improperly following up with an anonymous tip.
The definition of snafu is a mix up or a confused situation.
An example of a snafu is a male stripper dressed as a policeman showing up to a party that was being broken up by the police.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"snafu." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu>.
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snafu. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu
snafu
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"snafu." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu>.
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snafu. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu
snafu
Slang
noun
pl. sna·fusA chaotic or confused situation.
adjective
In a state of confusion or chaos.
transitive verb
sna·fued, sna·fu·ing, sna·fusTo make confused or chaotic.
Origin of snafu
s(ituation) n(ormal) a(ll) f(ucked) u(p)THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"snafu." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu>.
APA Style
snafu. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu
Acronym
- Alternative capitalization of SNAFU
Noun
(plural snafus)
- Alternative form of SNAFU.
Acronym
- (military, slang, euphemistic) Acronym of status nominal all fucked up. or Acronym of situation normal all fucked up. (fouled up)
Origin
The term was born during WWII as an acronym of the initials of the words situation normal, all fucked up, which summed up the chaos and confusion of the war from an individual soldier's point of view.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"snafu." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu>.
APA Style
snafu. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu
snafu - Computer Definition
Referring to a normal situation gone awry, the term is generally attributed to U.S. military slang circa WWII. In contemporary usage, the spelled-out phrase is a bit more colorful and much less polite. See also FUBAR.
Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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MLA Style
"snafu." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu>.
APA Style
snafu. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/snafu
Sentence Examples
- It almost happened in 2009 but for a technical snafu, but it's definitely coming in 2010.
- Footage of the appearance soon made its way on the Internet, and before long, people were comparing the incident to the Mel Gibson snafu.
- If there's a paperwork snafu or you've made any mistakes, your visa may be denied and you may need to reapply.