Here's a breakdown:
* Fabricating Imaginary Experiences: This meaning of "confabulate" is often used in a medical context, particularly related to memory disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Someone who confabulates in this way might create stories to fill in gaps in their memory, unaware that they are not accurate.
* Informal Conversation: This meaning is more common in everyday language. It simply means to chat casually with someone, often in a friendly or relaxed setting.
Here are some examples:
* "After the accident, the patient began to confabulate, claiming he was a famous musician." (Fabricating imaginary experiences)
* "We confabulated for hours about our childhood memories." (Informal conversation)
The meaning of "confabulate" can be ambiguous, so it's important to pay attention to the context in which it is used.