Definition of CONFLAGRATION (original) (raw)
1
: fire
especially : a large disastrous fire
The conflagration destroyed the warehouses.
2
The conflagration between the two countries lasted for ten years.
Synonyms
Examples of conflagration in a Sentence
The treaty is the latest attempt to resolve the ten-year conflagration. the historic tavern burned to the ground in a horrible conflagration
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia could be drifting further away from normalizing ties with Israel as the war in Gaza grinds on and a regional conflagration looms. —
Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 13 June 2025 How often vegetation buffers homes from igniting during urban conflagrations is still unclear, but this capacity has implications for regulations. —Max Moritz, Mercury News, 5 June 2025 Greenland’s Flirtations With China Could Backfire After the Trump administration touched off a tariff war, the geopolitical skirmishing between the United States and China over rare earths became a much more complicated conflagration involving the United States, the European Union, and China. —IEEE Spectrum, 8 May 2025 That translates to about 150 tons per acre of dead biomass in addition to any new growth that have sprung up, all of it a spark away from the next conflagration. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conflagration
Word History
Etymology
Latin conflagration-, conflagratio, from conflagrare — see conflagrant
First Known Use
1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of conflagration was in 1600
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“Conflagration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conflagration. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
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Last Updated: 17 Jun 2025 - Updated example sentences
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