Conflation
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A blowing or fusing together, as of many instruments in a concert, or of many fires in a foundry. countable
"Facing a backlash over the use of the term “cosmopolitan,” [Josh] Hawley later defended himself against accusations of antisemitism on Twitter as “an ardent advocate of the state of Israel and the Jewish people.” But this conflation of the state of Israel and the Jewish people is the entire point. To today’s far right, Israel is a firm ally against Islam, while “cosmopolitans,” many of whom just happen to be Jewish, are suspect."
- 2 A blend or fusion, especially a composite reading or text formed by combining the material of two or more texts into a single text. uncountable
"The conflation of the legitimate and peaceful expression of nationalist beliefs with acts of terrorism and other crimes"
Example
More examples"Facing a backlash over the use of the term “cosmopolitan,” [Josh] Hawley later defended himself against accusations of antisemitism on Twitter as “an ardent advocate of the state of Israel and the Jewish people.” But this conflation of the state of Israel and the Jewish people is the entire point. To today’s far right, Israel is a firm ally against Islam, while “cosmopolitans,” many of whom just happen to be Jewish, are suspect."
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin cōnflātiō, from Latin cōnflātus. By surface analysis, conflate + -ion.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.