confluence

noun

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con·flu·ence | \ ˈkän-ˌflü-ən(t)s

, kən-ˈflü-

Definition of confluence

1 : a coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point At the confluence of Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures, Santa Fe is the symbolic heart of the Southwest.— Jeffrey Steingarten A hip urban confluence of tasting rooms, galleries, and surfboard designers, it's a place where wine, art and beach culture coalesce. — Wine Enthusiast Magazine Every once in a while in pop music there is a magical confluence: the right performers doing the right music with the right support.— Ralph Novak Italian influences have marked not only the style of architecture in Passau but also the way of life. Then, of course, Eastern Europe is next door. There are many confluences, it seems.— N. Scott Momaday

2a : the flowing together of two or more streams A complex lacework of waterways formed by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, the delta is the state's major water source …— Robert B. Gunnison Confluences are a basic building block of river networks on all scales.— Chris Paola

b : the place of meeting of two streams … quaint Carbondale is set at the confluence of the Crystal and Roaring Fork Rivers. — National Geographic

c : the stream or body formed by the junction of two or more streams : a combined flood … and eventually chose, disastrously, the only place in Assam where it was impossible for tea to thrive, being regularly drowned by the confluence of two huge rivers, a more suitable terrain for rice.— Christian Lamb

3 or confluency \ kən-ˈflü-ən(t)-sē

\, cell biology : the degree of substrate coverage that is exhibited by proliferating, adherent cells cultured in a laboratory vessel (such as a petri dish or flask) At days 12-14, cell confluence reached 80%.— Runguang Li et al. The measurement of cell confluency is used to determine the growth phase of cells …— Mee Foong et al. also : complete coverage of a culture substrate by proliferating, adherent cells When the cells reach confluence, they form aggregates and can be serially cultured. — C. A. B. Jahoda et al. Replicate dishes of pooled cells were grown to confluency and induced with Newcastle disease virus … — Hermann Ragg and Charles Weissmann

Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about confluence

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Synonyms & Antonyms for confluence

Synonyms

Antonyms

divergence

Examples of confluence in a Sentence

the Mississippi River's confluence with the Missouri River a happy confluence of beautiful weather and spectacular scenery during our vacation

Recent Examples on the Web Those five years were a near-perfect confluence of contract situations, personalities and playing styles. — Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, "Warriors mailbag: Why Steve Kerr's job is safe despite disappointing season," 6 Apr. 2021 The confluence of circumstances that allows for a team to have the perfect mix of players is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime event. — Mike Hutton, chicagotribune.com, "Kouts basketball a family affair for twins Hunter and Parker Kneifel and rallying point for community," 17 Mar. 2021 The confluence of rivers was good, and some portage locations also became cities. — Bill Conerly, Forbes, "Cities Will Be More Fragile, More Competitive, Than Ever Before," 9 Mar. 2021 The defensive end also arrived in Green Bay as quarterback Brett Favre was preparing for his second year as a starter, which was quite a confluence of events. — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, "J.J. Watt, Reggie White and the Not Quite Browns All-Stars: Doug Lesmerises," 3 Mar. 2021 With Black and indigenous women killed in America more than any other race, the confluence of digital and real world racial and gendered violence is undeniable, at least by those who directly experience it. — Malkia Devich-cyril, Wired, "Banning White Supremacy Isn’t Censorship, It’s Accountability," 31 Jan. 2021 Alas, the confluence of big money and bad taste is one Hydra that not even Heracles could slay. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, "The Covid Hydra Bites a Baltimore Museum," 30 Oct. 2020 The confluence of misinformation and infectious disease isn’t unique to COVID-19. — Amir Bagherpour, Scientific American, "COVID Misinformation Is Killing People," 11 Oct. 2020 That confluence of art and nature is an important element in I-Park programming. — courant.com, "Community News For The Colchester Edition," 4 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confluence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.