confabulation

[ kuhn-fab-yuh-ley-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of confabulating; conversation; discussion:

   One night, over a beer, Jake and I got into a confabulation on the world and life in general, and Jake's affairs in particular.

2. Psychiatry, Psychology. the replacement of a gap in a person's memory by a falsification that they believe to be true:

   The report concluded that while the information elicited under hypnosis may be accurate, it may also include confabulations and pseudomemories.

Other Words From

• con·fab·u·la·to·ry [k, uh, n-, fab, -y, oo, -l, uh, -tawr-ee], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of confabulation¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; from Late Latin confabulātiōn- (stem of confābulātiō ) “conversation,” equivalent to confābulāt(us) ( confabulate ) + -iōn- noun suffix; -ion

Example Sentences

This is most apparent in his discussion of the many forms of confabulation.

From The Daily Beast

The constant disinformation, distraction, misdirection, confabulation, and endless stream of threats actually works.

From The Daily Beast

The two girls put their heads together, and had a long confabulation.

From Project Gutenberg

One week certain mysterious persons would drop in, and sit in long confabulation.

From Project Gutenberg

He had eyed the three chiefs during their confabulation, and saw that the sailors were proceeding to pull his vessel to pieces.

From Project Gutenberg

Here, by an odd chance, just as we came to the school gate, we met Mr Jarman and Crofter walking out in deep confabulation.

From Project Gutenberg

Then Jake visited her, and, taking her out of the kitchen, had a long confabulation with her in the open.

From Project Gutenberg