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
Clearly 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
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
Cite this Entry
“Conflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conflation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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