Conflate
/kənˈfleɪt/noun
To merge two or more things into one, especially by combining them in a way that blurs distinctions.
Did you know?Conflate entered English through Latin and originally meant to blow or smelt together, a very physical image of fusion before it became the mental act of blending ideas.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰleh₁-
“to blow, breathe”
Latin
Latin
flāre
“to blow”
Latin
Latin
conflāre
“to blow together, fuse by blowing; later, to combine”
Late Middle English
English
conflaten
“to join or fuse together”
Modern English
English
conflate
“to combine different things into one whole, often by mixing them inappropriately”