confluence

noun

1
: a coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point
At the confluence of Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures, Santa Fe is the symbolic heart of the Southwest.Jeffrey Steingarten
A hip urban confluence of tasting rooms, galleries, and surfboard designers, it's a place where wine, art and beach culture coalesce.Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Every once in a while in pop music there is a magical confluence: the right performers doing the right music with the right support.Ralph Novak
Italian influences have marked not only the style of architecture in Passau but also the way of life. Then, of course, Eastern Europe is next door. There are many confluences, it seems.N. Scott Momaday
2
a
: the flowing together of two or more streams
A complex lacework of waterways formed by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, the delta is the state's major water source …Robert B. Gunnison
Confluences are a basic building block of river networks on all scales.Chris Paola
b
: the place of meeting of two streams
… quaint Carbondale is set at the confluence of the Crystal and Roaring Fork Rivers.National Geographic
c
: the stream or body formed by the junction of two or more streams : a combined flood
… and eventually chose, disastrously, the only place in Assam where it was impossible for tea to thrive, being regularly drowned by the confluence of two huge rivers, a more suitable terrain for rice.Christian Lamb
3
or confluency cell biology : the degree of substrate coverage that is exhibited by proliferating, adherent cells cultured in a laboratory vessel (such as a petri dish or flask)
At days 12-14, cell confluence reached 80%.Runguang Li et al.
The measurement of cell confluency is used to determine the growth phase of cells …Mee Foong et al.
also : complete coverage of a culture substrate by proliferating, adherent cells
When the cells reach confluence, they form aggregates and can be serially cultured. C. A. B. Jahoda et al.
Replicate dishes of pooled cells were grown to confluency and induced with Newcastle disease virus … Hermann Ragg and Charles Weissmann

Did you know?

The joining of rivers—as at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers flow together spectacularly—was the original meaning of confluence, and in its later meanings we still hear a strong echo of the physical merging of waters. So today we can speak of a confluence of events, a confluence of interests, a confluence of cultures, and so on, from which something important often emerges.

Examples of confluence in a Sentence

the Mississippi River's confluence with the Missouri River a happy confluence of beautiful weather and spectacular scenery during our vacation
Recent Examples on the Web The confluence of those messages came Wednesday, as Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young winner, was flanked by both men on the outfield pavilion of Scottsdale Stadium, where he was introduced as the San Francisco Giants’ latest offseason addition. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 For multi-hue schemes, include plenty of white to tame the color confluence, like the furniture in this cute girls' bedroom idea. Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2024 Bright white cottages with red roofs, stately sea captains' homes, two lighthouses, local shops, and water in seemingly every direction (what with the confluence of the river and the Intracoastal Waterway) create vistas at every bend in the road. Tracey Minkin, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2024 Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. The Arizona Republic, 27 Feb. 2024 Yet this progress is now threatened by a confluence of dire budget trends in our nation’s school districts. Tom Davidson, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Anybody who’s paying attention will notice that there are these confluences — these karma spots that come up from time to time. Darryn King, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 The situation is complicated by a confluence of factors, not the least of which for Johnson and fellow Republicans is the imposing influence of former president Donald Trump. Marianna Sotomayor, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Among the most outspoken is Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who has pointed to the confluence of lax gun laws and expanded self-defense as contributing to Kansas City’s high homicide rate, which reached a new record in 2023. Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confluence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see confluent entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of confluence was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near confluence

Cite this Entry

“Confluence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confluence. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

confluence

noun
1
: a coming together to one place
2
: a flowing together or place of meeting especially of streams

More from Merriam-Webster on confluence

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