To combine or merge two things together, especially ideas or texts, into one; to treat as the same when they are different.
From Latin 'conflatus,' past participle of 'conflare' (to blow together, fuse), combining 'con-' (together) and 'flare' (to blow). Originally a metallurgical term for fusing metals with heat.
When people conflate 'weather' with 'climate,' scientists cringe—but the word itself comes from metalworking, where conflating metals through heat created stronger alloys, so the metaphor is beautifully literal.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.