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 derives from conflatus, the past participle 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, which means "to blow" and is akin to English's blow. Other descendants of flare in English include afflatus ("a divine imparting of knowledge or power"), inflate, insufflation ("an act of blowing"), and flageolet (a kind of small flute—the flageolet referring to a green kidney bean is unrelated).
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 WebSome lawyers may reasonably feel as though the public will conflate Mr. Trump’s policy aims and positions with the lawyer’s.Anchorage Daily News, 17 Aug. 2022 Some lawyers may reasonably feel as though the public will conflate Mr. Trump’s policy aims and positions with the lawyer’s.Anchorage Daily News, 17 Aug. 2022 Some lawyers may reasonably feel as though the public will conflate Mr. Trump’s policy aims and positions with the lawyer’s. Rosalind S. Helderman, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2022 But climate change is causing heat and humidity to conflate more often, creating wet-bulb temperatures beyond our threshold. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 20 July 2022 Joseph also pointed out that often times brands often conflate representation for actual input and influence, which is what get them in trouble. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 17 June 2022 Treating this condition ends the pregnancy, which is why some people conflate ectopic pregnancy treatment with elective abortions. Amy Alspaugh, The Conversation, 7 June 2022 Many of us conflate the two, and that stops us from having conversations that are uncomfortable but are generally safe.Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2022 Those claims appeared to conflate details from a 2013 report about the unrelated death of a 20-year-old in California with the same name. Michael Balsamo, BostonGlobe.com, 28 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin conflatus, past participle of conflare to blow together, fuse, from com- + flare to blow — more at blow