noun
Meaning 1
A casual conversation; a chat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: confab
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
confabulation
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /kənˌfæbjʊˈleɪʃən/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -eɪʃən
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CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N F AE2 B Y AH0 L EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A fabricated memory believed to be true, especially in someone with dementia or with encephalopathy from advanced alcoholism.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
An assertion, statement, or text generated by a generative AI that is presented by that AI as if it were true but is in fact a made-up, false notion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hallucination
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
(psychiatry) a plausible but imagined memory that fills in gaps in what is remembered
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: memory
noun
Meaning 5
an informal conversation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chat, confab, schmooze, schmoose
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: conversation
Narrower terms: chitchat, chit-chat, chit chat, small talk, gab, gabfest, gossip, tittle-tattle, chin wag, chin-wag, chin wagging, chin-wagging, causerie
History
Etymology
From Middle English confabulacion (“conversation”), from Latin confābulātiōnem, from cōnfābulārī + -tiōnem.
Across languages
Translations
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: раздумка (razdumka) — casual conversation — see also chat
- Bulgarian: лафене (lafene) — casual conversation — see also chat
- Bulgarian: лафуване (lafuvane) — casual conversation — see also chat
- Bulgarian: бъбрене (bǎbrene) — casual conversation — see also chat
- Bulgarian: чешене на езика (češene na ezika) — casual conversation — see also chat
- Chinese Mandarin: 閒聊 /闲聊 (xiánliáo) — casual conversation — see also chat
- Finnish: rupattelu — casual conversation — see also chat
- Finnish: juttelu — casual conversation — see also chat
- Bulgarian: конфабулация (konfabulacija) — fabricated memory
- Chinese Mandarin: 虛構症 /虚构症 (xūgòuzhèng) — fabricated memory
- Finnish: konfabulaatio — fabricated memory
- Finnish: satuilu — fabricated memory
- Finnish: sepitelmä — fabricated memory
- German: Konfabulation — fabricated memory
- Chinese Mandarin: 幻覺 /幻觉 (huànjué) — assertion, statement, or text generated by a generative AI
- Finnish: sepite — assertion, statement, or text generated by a generative AI