- Today's Word
Oscillate
OSS-uh-layt
Definition
(verb) To move or swing back and forth in a steady rhythm; to waver between opposing positions or decisions.
Example
She oscillated between taking the job offer and going back to school.
Fun Fact
From Latin oscillare, “to swing,” the word was first used in reference to physical devices like pendulums and fans. Over time, it took on metaphorical meaning—describing emotional or intellectual back-and-forth. In psychology and politics alike, oscillation suggests indecision, ambivalence, or changing perspectives.
(verb) Combined or mixed two or more separate things — ideas, concepts, or facts — into one, often incorrectly or misleadingly.
Many people have conflated the concepts of sympathy and empathy, using them interchangeably when they actually describe very different emotional responses.
Conflate comes from the Latin conflare, meaning “to blow together” — from con- (“together”) and flare (“to blow”). In ancient usage, it referred literally to melting metals together in a furnace by blowing air on them. By the 17th century, the word had moved into figurative use in English, describing the merging of texts, ideas, or narratives into a single, unified whole.