conflagration
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See flame.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of conflagration
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin conflagrātiōn- (stem of conflagrātiō ), equivalent to conflagrāt(us), past participle of conflagrāre “to burn up”; see con- ( def. ), -ate 1 ( def. ), -ion ( def. ). Latin flagr- of conflagrāre is akin to fulgur “lightning,” flamma ( see flame), Greek phlóx ( see phlox)
Explanation
A conflagration isn't just a few flames; it's an especially large and destructive fire that causes devastation. That tiny campfire that somehow turned into a raging forest inferno? You could call that intense, uncontrolled blaze a conflagration. Mrs. O'Leary's cow knew a thing or two about conflagrations: It was that unknowing animal that kicked over a kerosene lamp in the night, setting the O'Leary's barn on fire and sending four square miles of the Windy City into that blistering conflagration known as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Vocabulary lists containing conflagration
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Grade 10, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That conflagration was 5% contained by Tuesday afternoon as weakening winds helped crews get a handle on the incident, according to Cal Fire.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Political scientist Yuttaporn Issarachai said that the Thai government's primary agenda has shifted towards daunting external challenges, including the economic fallout of the Middle East conflagration.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
The more recent war on terror was long and expensive—one hopes far more than the current conflagration, on both counts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
A Middle East with greatly reduced chances of a widespread conflagration could generate a massive peace dividend for the region.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026
So we watched that final conflagration on this cold morn.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
