confabulate
/kənˈfæbjʊleɪt/
confabulate means to speak casually with; to chat.
confabulate is pronounced /kənˈfæbjʊleɪt/.
Why “confabulate” is a great word
To converse informally, or in psychology, to unconsciously fabricate memories to fill gaps in one's recollection. From Latin confabulatus, past participle of confabulari, from con- ("together") + fabulari ("to talk, chat"), first attested in English in the early 17th century. Unlike "confer," which implies a formal meeting of minds for a purpose, or "fabricate," which denotes a conscious act of deceit, to confabulate is either the gentle art of companionable chatter or the mind's own quiet, inventive repair. It is the easy murmur from a park bench, the invented detail of a childhood story told with sincere conviction, the brain's earnest but flawed stitching of a narrative from tattered cloth—a testament to our profound need for coherence, even when the truth has gone missing.
Etymology
First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin cōnfābulātus, perfect active participle of cōnfābulor, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
verb
- To speak casually with; to chat.
- To confer.
- To fabricate memories in order to fill gaps in one's memory.e.g.“"It has been well established that the speech areas in the absence of input often confabulate a response."”
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