conflate

verb

con·​flate kən-ˈflāt 

conflated; conflating; conflates

transitive verb

1

a

: to bring together : blend

Even more often, outsiders conflate the couple, and credit them with each other's characteristics.

—Alison Lurie

This unsettling book—conflating journalism, personal reportage, sociology and philosophical inquiry …

—Rosemary Mahoney

b

: confuse

Given its name, St. Thomas in Houston has on occasion been conflated with St. Thomas in Minnesota …

—David Barron

2

: to combine (things, such as two versions of a text) into a composite whole

For there are two substantive texts, the quarto published in 1597 and the folio in 1623. Modern editions usually conflate the pair to produce what the editor judges to be the best and most plausible hybrid.

—Bill Overton

Did you know?

We’re not just blowing hot air when we tell you that conflate can actually be traced back to the same roots as the English verb blow. Conflate comes from conflatus, a form of the Latin verb conflare (“to blow together, to fuse”), which was formed by combining the prefix com-, meaning “with” or “together,” with the Latin verb flare, meaning “to blow.” Blow’s ancestor, the Old English word blāwan, shares an ancestor with flare. When two or more things are conflated, they are figuratively “blown together” either by someone’s confusion or ingenuity. Other descendants of flare in English include flavor, inflate, and, well, flatulent.

Synonyms

• confound
• confuse
• mistake
• mix (up)

Examples of conflate in a Sentence

be careful not to conflate gossip with real news

the movie conflates documentary footage and dramatized reenactments so seamlessly and ingeniously that viewers may not know what is real and what is not

Recent Examples on the Web

Low weight is frequently (incorrectly) conflated with good health, and people in larger bodies are often subjected to bullying, negative stereotypes, and discrimination in the workplace. —Cole Kazdin, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

Moreover, conflating bots with women misunderstands the nature of misogyny. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Recognizing the financial irresponsibility of a reasonably financially endowed person should not be conflated with shaming those in poverty. —Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, for example, has sparked debate over whether the definition intentionally conflates criticism with the state of Israel as being antisemitic. —Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

There’s semi-formal, which is often conflated with cocktail dress codes. —Shelby Ying Hyde, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024

The statement, instead, conflated the $350 million that the team has asked to provide upfront to build the $1 billion ballpark with the amount of money the tax would collect to the benefit of the team over those four decades. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024

Amazon’s bot appeared to conflate two different needs. —Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024

Remember that moment during the 2000 Democratic presidential primary when Al Gore conflated Sioux City, Iowa, with Sioux Falls, South Dakota? —Paul Waldman, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin conflatus, past participle of conflare to blow together, fuse, from com- + flare to blow — more at blow

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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