conflagration

noun

con·​fla·​gra·​tion ˌkän-flə-ˈgrā-shən 

1

: fire

especially : a large disastrous fire

The conflagration destroyed the warehouses.

2

: conflict, war

The conflagration between the two countries lasted for ten years.

Synonyms of conflagration

• inferno
• fire

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

Israeli left-wingers, for their part, have long held that a festering military rule over Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and failure to reach peace, would inevitably lead to violent conflagration. — Dahlia Scheindlin, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

The concern now is that the conflicts will intersect with the civil war in neighboring Sudan, causing a complicated, regionwide conflagration. — Alemayehu Fentaw Weldemariam, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

The conflagration, known as the Nuns Fire, destroyed 1,355 buildings, including most of Bennett Ridge. — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Saudi Arabia agreed not to retaliate militarily against targets on Iraqi soil, temporarily staving off a regional conflagration. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin conflagrātiōn-, conflagrātiō, from conflagrāre "to be destroyed by fire, be burnt down" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at conflagrant

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for conflagration

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

conflagration

noun

con·​fla·​gra·​tion ˌkän-flə-ˈgrā-shən 

: a large disastrous fire