conflagration

noun

con·​fla·​gra·​tion ˌkän-flə-ˈgrā-shən 

1

: fire

especially : a large disastrous fire

The conflagration destroyed the warehouses.

2

: conflict, war

The conflagration between the two countries lasted for ten years.

Synonyms of conflagration

• inferno
• fire

Examples of conflagration in a Sentence

The treaty is the latest attempt to resolve the ten-year conflagration.

the historic tavern burned to the ground in a horrible conflagration

Recent Examples on the Web

Previous splashdowns ended with conflagrations, an outcome SpaceX officials have come to expect with each water landing of Starship. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2026

An analysis found that communities combining these strategies were twice as likely to survive a major conflagration. — Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 16 July 2026

More than 100 firefighters were assigned to the incident, working on the ground to attack the conflagration with hose-lines. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Firefighters appeared to make progress in battling the fire, reporting Wednesday that the conflagration did not expand overnight. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 8 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin conflagrātiōn-, conflagrātiō, from conflagrāre "to be destroyed by fire, be burnt down" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at conflagrant

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for conflagration

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

conflagration

noun

con·​fla·​gra·​tion ˌkän-flə-ˈgrā-shən 

: a large disastrous fire