Conflate: meaning, definitions and examples

combine ideas

To conflate means to combine two or more different ideas, concepts, or texts into one, often resulting in confusion or misunderstanding. This action can lead to a lack of clarity since the unique characteristics of the individual items are lost in the merging process. It is commonly used in discussions about literature, philosophy, and opinion. When one conflates two distinct issues, it can mislead or confuse audiences about the topics being discussed.

blend, combine, fuse, merge, mix

Examples of usage

• The article tends to conflate social issues with economic policies.

• In his speech, he conflated criticism of the government with personal attacks.

• It is important not to conflate these two theories, as they address different aspects of the problem.