confabulate

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

UK /kənˈfæbjʊleɪt/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #318855

Meanings

1

verb
To unconsciously invent false memories to fill gaps in what you remember.

Patients with this condition often confabulate events that never happened.
2

verb
To chat or talk something over informally.

The two old friends confabulated for hours over coffee.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to chat or talk something... confab chat converse

Word family

Derived forms confab

Etymology

First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin cōnfābulātus, perfect active participle of cōnfābulor, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

*bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# confabulate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (UK):** kənˈfæbjʊleɪt
**Frequency rank:** 318855

## Meanings
1. To unconsciously invent false memories to fill gaps in what you remember.
2. To chat or talk something over informally.

## Examples
- Patients with this condition often confabulate events that never happened.
- The two old friends confabulated for hours over coffee.

## Derived Forms
- confab

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰeh₂-

## Etymology
First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin cōnfābulātus, perfect active participle of cōnfābulor, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

## AI Etymology
Confabulate is first attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin cōnfābulātus, perfect active participle of cōnfābulor, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Important recorded forms include *bʰeh₂- (Proto-Indo-European). Current senses include to unconsciously invent false memories to fill gaps in what you remember and to chat or talk something over informally. The wider family includes derived forms such as confab.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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confabulate

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