confabulation
gb/kənfˌæbjəlˈeɪʃən/ us/kənfˌæbjəlˈeɪʃən/
C1
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Nom
technical
C1
process
1
Unintentional false memories in illness
When someone unknowingly remembers things that did not happen, often because of a memory problem.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] has confabulation; confabulation in [condition]
Erreur fréquente :
Do not confuse with lying: confabulation is usually unconscious and not meant to deceive.
Synonymes
false memory (General term; not always linked to brain injury.)
|
memory distortion (Broader and can include smaller inaccuracies.)
|
fabricated recollection (Describes the content but may wrongly suggest intention.)
Antonymes
accurate recall (Remembering events correctly.)
|
verifiable memory (A recollection supported by evidence.)
Collocations
memory confabulation
|clinical confabulation
|spontaneous confabulation
|provoked confabulation
|severe confabulation
|episodes of confabulation
|confabulation errors
|confabulation in Korsakoff syndrome
|confabulation after brain injury
|confabulation in dementia
Thèmes
health
|psychology
|medicine
|memory
Exemples
- After the stroke, he showed confabulation and confidently described events that never occurred.
- The clinician noted confabulation when the patient filled in missing details with plausible stories.
- Confabulation is common in certain forms of amnesia and can be mistaken for deliberate deception.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Because of his illness, he had confabulation and told stories that were not real.
- Confabulation is not the same as lying.
Nom
technical
C1
process
2
Made-up explanation without intent
Explaining something by making up details without realizing it.
Schéma d’usage :
a confabulation about [topic]; confabulation of [details]
Erreur fréquente :
Often confused with 'confab' (a casual chat) or with intentional 'fabrication'.
Synonymes
rationalization (Often focuses on justifying actions or feelings rather than memory.)
|
misremembering (More neutral; may not include invented narrative detail.)
|
unintentional fabrication (Close in meaning but can sound self-contradictory to learners.)
Antonymes
fact-based explanation (An account grounded in evidence rather than invention.)
|
accurate report (A correct description of what happened.)
Collocations
unconscious confabulation
|everyday confabulation
|confabulation of details
|post-hoc confabulation
|confabulation in interviews
|confabulation in eyewitness testimony
|confabulation under pressure
|confabulation of motives
|confabulation of reasons
|confabulation tendency
Thèmes
psychology
|communication
|thinking
Exemples
- Under repeated questioning, her account drifted into confabulation as she tried to fill in gaps.
- The researcher warned that participants may produce confabulation when asked to explain choices they did not consciously make.
- What sounded like a detailed story turned out to be confabulation based on fragments of memory.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He gave a confabulation to explain why he was late.
- Sometimes people confabulate when they do not remember clearly.
Nom
formal
C2
event
3
A private chat or talk
A conversation (used in a formal or humorous way).
Schéma d’usage :
a confabulation with [someone]; a confabulation about [topic]
Erreur fréquente :
This sense is much less common than the psychology meaning; learners may be misunderstood if they use it for 'chat' in everyday speech.
Synonymes
conversation (More common and neutral.)
|
chat (More informal and common.)
|
discussion (Often more serious or structured.)
Antonymes
silence (No conversation or talk.)
Collocations
a brief confabulation
|a private confabulation
|a quick confabulation
|a late-night confabulation
|a confabulation with colleagues
|a confabulation about plans
Thèmes
daily_life
|communication
Exemples
- After the meeting, they slipped into a short confabulation in the hallway.
- A quick confabulation with the editor helped clarify the headline.
- The novel opens with a confabulation between two old friends over coffee.
Exemples pédagogiques
- They had a brief confabulation after class.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
confabulation
API
GB/kənfˌæbjəlˈeɪʃən/
US/kənfˌæbjəlˈeɪʃən/
Syllabes et accentuation
con - fab - u - la - tion (5 syllabes)
Stress on 4th syllable (la)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: confabulation
- Plural: confabulations
Famille de mots
Forms
confabulations
noun
Core family
confabulate
verb C1
Related words
confab
noun
Advanced or less common
confabulatory
adjective
confabulator
noun
Expressions
Aucune expression n’est encore associée à cette entrée.