confederacy

American  

[kuhn-fed-er-uh-see, -fed-ruh-see] / kənˈfɛd ər ə si, -ˈfɛd rə si /

noun

plural

confederacies

1. an alliance between persons, parties, states, etc., for some purpose.

2. a group of persons, parties, states, etc., united by such a confederacy.

3. a combination of persons for unlawful purposes; conspiracy.

4. the Confederacy. Confederate States of America.

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confederacy ¹ British  

/ -ˈfɛdrəsɪ, kənˈfɛdərəsɪ /

noun

1. a union or combination of peoples, states, etc; alliance; league

2. a combination of groups or individuals for unlawful purposes

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Confederacy ² British  

/ -ˈfɛdrəsɪ, kənˈfɛdərəsɪ /

noun

1. another name for Confederate States of America

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Confederacy Cultural  

1. The Confederate States of America; the government formed in 1861 by southern states that proclaimed their secession from the United States. Jefferson Davis was its president. The Confederacy was dissolved after the Civil War. (Compare Union.)

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Other Word Forms

• confederal adjective

Etymology

Origin of confederacy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English confederacie, from Anglo-French, equivalent to Late Latin confoederāt(us) “united” (past participle of confoederāre “to unite in a league”; confederate ) + -ia -y ³ ( def. )

Explanation

A confederacy is a political union. The most famous American confederacy consisted of the southern states who fought the northern states in the American Civil War. When you confederate — that is, join together for a common purpose — what you get is a confederacy. Americans will never forget a well-known but ill-fated confederacy, the Confederate States of America: an unrecognized state that formed in 1861, uniting the slave states that left the United States at the time of the Civil War. Any such political union could be called a confederacy (or a federation). When you see the word confederacy, think of togetherness in the political realm.

Example Sentences

Athens emerged as the head of the Delian League, a confederacy of cities located along the Anatolian coast and on islands in the Aegean.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

In the confederacy, Georgia enacted a similar 15-day grace period, while Florida law provided an extra 20 days.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

Known as “Lament for Confederation,” it was a landmark moment in First Nations history, calling out the meaning of the confederacy and the impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2024

This confederacy of society’s richest and most powerful people is determined to ruin Benny’s life.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2024

In Hunt’s wake the Patuxet community raged, as did the rest of the Wampanoag confederacy and the Nauset.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann