confluence
noun
con·flu·ence
ˈkän-ˌflü-ən(t)s 
kən-ˈflü-
kən-ˈflü-
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
Jeffrey SteingartenA hip urban confluence of tasting rooms, galleries, and surfboard designers, it's a place where wine, art and beach culture coalesce.—Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Wine Enthusiast MagazineEvery 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
Ralph NovakItalian 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
N. Scott Momaday2
a
: 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
Robert B. GunnisonConfluences are a basic building block of river networks on all scales.—Chris Paola
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
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
Christian Lamb3
or confluency
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.
Runguang Li et al.The measurement of cell confluency is used to determine the growth phase of cells …—Mee Foong et al.
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.
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
Hermann Ragg and Charles Weissmann 
Did you know?
The joining of rivers—as at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers flow together spectacularly—was the original meaning of confluence, and in its later meanings we still hear a strong echo of the physical merging of waters. So today we can speak of a confluence of events, a confluence of interests, a confluence of cultures, and so on, from which something important often emerges.
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
Patrons can come through a nearby entrance, but most keep going down the hill to the confluence of Nos. 6 and 16.
—Bob Spear, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2025
That confluence has made already shaky finances for many older and less-affluent associations and owners even more tenuous and, in some cases, unsustainable, Marcus said.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Even that timeline, Moore said, would not have been possible without a confluence of factors that increased the urgency of the project.
—Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 24 Mar. 2025
Two months in, this confluence of interests has come apart, and so has the cease-fire.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confluence
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Bob Spear, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2025
That confluence has made already shaky finances for many older and less-affluent associations and owners even more tenuous and, in some cases, unsustainable, Marcus said.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Even that timeline, Moore said, would not have been possible without a confluence of factors that increased the urgency of the project.
—Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 24 Mar. 2025
Two months in, this confluence of interests has come apart, and so has the cease-fire.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confluence
Cite this Entry
“Confluence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confluence. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
confluence
noun
con·flu·ence
ˈkän-ˌflü-ən(t)s
kən-ˈflü-
kən-ˈflü-
1
: a coming together to one place
2
: a flowing together or place of meeting especially of streams
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