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Definition of confederation

confederation

/kənˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən/
con · fed · er · a · tion
Plural:confederations
•
Adjective:confederative
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confederation Lexical Profile

confederation Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An organization or union consisting of a number of parties, groups, or sovereign states united in an alliance or league for common action.

Example

"Several regional trade unions joined together to form a national confederation of labor workers."

2

The action of uniting states or organizations into a league or alliance, or the state of being so united.

Example

"The delegates debated the terms of confederation for several months before signing the treaty."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Word Nuance & Usage

In political science, a confederation differs from a federation in that a confederation is a looser union where constituent states retain their sovereignty and delegate only limited powers to a central authority, whereas a federation features a strong central government with constitutional authority over its states.

• Rhymes for confederation

• Nearby Words

confectionery
confederacy
confederate
confederation
confer
conference
conferencing

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in Late Middle English from Old French 'confederacion' or Late Latin 'confoederatio', from the verb 'confoederare' ('to unite by a league'), formed from 'con-' ('together') and 'foedus' ('league' or 'treaty').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Confederation. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/confederation
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