conflation
noun
con·fla·tion
kən-ˈflā-shən 
plural conflations
: the action or result of conflating:
a(1)
(2)
: confusion
The conflation of lie and lay is an old problem and, admittedly, an understandable one.—
Cullen Murphy
Cullen MurphyClearly the dominant American culture confuses us Mennonites with the Amish, who in fact began as an insurgent faction rebelling from the Mennonites. America's conflation is reasonable, since the Mennonites and the Amish have historically overlapped in many lifestyle choices.—Rhoda Janzen
Rhoda Janzen
b
: a composite reading or text
But this book is not simply a conflation of old dispatches from one of the world's forgotten trouble spots.—William Boyd
William BoydExamples of conflation in a Sentence
the word “robustious” is probably a conflation of “robust” and “boisterous”
Recent Examples on the Web
Even worse, this conflation of language and belonging is tied to deportation efforts.
—Annie Abbott, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
The Role of Religion Culturally, there are still problematic conflations of yoga as religion or as a function of religious dogma that preclude many from practicing yoga.
—Tamika Caston-Miller, Outside Online, 26 Feb. 2025
Its outlook, albeit widespread, should not be confused with expertise—but the idea of the Blob has become so slippery as to enable such conflation.
—Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020
At issue was the film’s conflation of gender transition with moral redemption, dealing with the process on the level of metaphor rather than something undergone by actual people.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflation
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Annie Abbott, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
The Role of Religion Culturally, there are still problematic conflations of yoga as religion or as a function of religious dogma that preclude many from practicing yoga.
—Tamika Caston-Miller, Outside Online, 26 Feb. 2025
Its outlook, albeit widespread, should not be confused with expertise—but the idea of the Blob has become so slippery as to enable such conflation.
—Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020
At issue was the film’s conflation of gender transition with moral redemption, dealing with the process on the level of metaphor rather than something undergone by actual people.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflation
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Cite this Entry
“Conflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conflation. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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