3: to fill in gaps in memory by fabrication
A major characteristic of brain-damaged patients is the tendency to confabulate—to hide and dissemble about their damage.— Peter R. Breggin
Confabulate is a fabulous word for making fantastic fabrications. Given the similarities in spelling and sound, you might guess that "confabulate" and "fabulous" come from the same root, and they do - the Latin fabula, which means "conversation, story." Another "fabula" descendant that continues to tell tales in English is "fable." All three words have long histories in English: "fable" first appeared in writing in the 14th century, and "fabulous" followed in the 15th. "Confabulate" is a relative newcomer, appearing at the beginning of the 1600s.
Examples of confabulate in a Sentence
an Alzheimer's support group in which caregivers can confabulate as well as commiserate
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confabulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.