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to conflate

to conflate

33 7.5
To mix more than one idea or fact so their differences become unclear
  • verb
  • /kənˈfleɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : confundir con
  • Baude and Sachs might object that I have conflated two distinct issues.
  • conflate the two
  • conflate aesthetics with art
  • conflate time and space

It's a political movement that's conflating science with politics.

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Examples

  • So never conflate knowledge with wisdom.

  • I think we have to be careful that we don't conflate research discovery with application.

    Academic text (2008)
  • It's not that, you know, we often conflate being in charge with leader, right?

  • And so I guess there it's important not to conflate Islam and Muslims.

  • And I think we live in a culture that conflates scientific method with truth.

  • People often conflate familiarity with the truth.

  • And so I think people conflate happiness and fulfillment.

  • So the real issue is that we're conflating public with private enterprises.

  • I think you're conflating two different things.

  • In discussions about mental health, many people conflate anxiety with fear, even though they are different emotions.

Synonyms

to combine
vsto conflate
638 2.7

To mix two or more things into one

performs joining while specifically blending meanings and sometimes creating confusion
to mix
vsto conflate
416 1.0

To combine two or more things so they become one

often does that too but usually in a way that blurs separate meanings
to blend
vsto conflate
255 2.3

To mix things so they become one or look good together

does the same but tends to hide separate identities and cause confusion
to merge
vsto conflate
192 3.2

To join two or more things so they become one

creates that unity while blurring distinctions and creating possible confusion
to synthesize
vsto conflate
55 6.4

To combine ideas or materials to make something new

may do this too but often mixes ideas in a way that confuses distinctions
to consolidate
vsto conflate
50 4.7

To join several things into one whole

focuses on unity but can also blur original distinctions and cause confusion
to fuse
vsto conflate
44 3.9

To join different things to make one thing

also removes clear boundaries but often results in indistinct or confused meaning
to mingle
vsto conflate
34 3.3

Mix together so things join and are hard to tell apart

merges elements in general while often blurring clear distinctions between them
to muddle
vsto conflate
33 4.8

Mix things up so they are unclear

does that too but emphasizes combining separate things and blurring their differences
to conjoin
vsto conflate
26 5.9

To come together or bring things together

unites parts while commonly blending meanings and obscuring separate identities
to jumble
vsto conflate
22 3.8

Mix things together in a confused way

similarly causes confusion but specifically by merging separate ideas into one idea
to meld
vsto conflate
18 5.3

To mix things so they become one

blends elements while blurring differences and often causing confusion
to intermingle
vsto conflate
6 5.2

Mix together so the parts are hard to tell apart

overlaps with that idea but emphasizes confusion of original ideas or texts
to commingle
vsto conflate
5 7.4

To mix different things into one

does this while often making distinctions between elements unclear and confusing
to amalgamate
vsto conflate
  • Formal
4 7.4

To join several groups or parts to make one

does similar uniting but also tends to blur separate meanings or ideas
to compound
vsto conflate
4 4.0

To mix two or more things to make one thing

creates such a whole but tends to merge elements in confusing ways
to interweave
vsto conflate
4 6.3

To mix different things closely together, like threads or melodies

creates that intertwining while also obscuring separate identities and meanings
to recombine
vsto conflate
3 5.5

To join things together again after they were separated

may do this but often merges ideas in a way that blurs differences
to intermix
vsto conflate
2 5.6

Combine different things so they become one or hard to separate

similarly blends items but also blurs conceptual boundaries creating confusion
to admix
vsto conflate
1 8.8

To mix one substance with another so they become combined

performs similar adding but commonly causes blurred boundaries and confusion
to commix
vsto conflate
8.9

To mix different things together into one

goes further by hiding original differences and sometimes creating confusion
to immix
vsto conflate
9.9

To put different things together so they become one

does that while specifically obscuring distinctions and causing misunderstanding

Antonyms

829 2.1

Not joined to another thing and kept apart

177 3.1

To notice differences between things or people

How Combined

to conflate
  • Formal
33 7.5
to fuse
44 3.9
to merge
192 3.2
to blend
255 2.3
to mix
416 1.0

Surface Forms

conflate infinitive
conflated past
conflated past participle
conflating present participle
conflates third person singular

Morphology

conflate = con + flate

The prefix 'con-' (together) is recognizable and suggests combining, but the root 'flate' is not a standalone English word, so the full meaning is only partly recoverable by an average learner.

Etymology

The word conflate comes from the parts con- 'together' and flare 'to blow', the same root you see in inflate 'fill with air'. So, to conflate things is like 'blowing them together' into one, and that often blurs the differences between them.