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confederate

[ adjective, noun kuhn-fed-er-it, -fed-rit; verb kuhn-fed-uh-reyt ]
/ adjective, noun kənˈfɛd ər ɪt, -ˈfɛd rɪt; verb kənˈfɛd əˌreɪt /
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See synonyms for: confederate / confederated / confederating on Thesaurus.com

Definition of confederate

adjective
united in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Confederate States of America: the Confederate army.
noun
a person, group, nation, etc., united with others in a confederacy; an ally.
an accomplice, especially in a mischievous or criminal act.
(initial capital letter)U.S. History. a supporter of the Confederate States of America.
verb (used with or without object), con·fed·er·at·ed, con·fed·er·at·ing.
to unite in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.
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Origin of confederate

1350–1400; Middle English confederat<Late Latin confoederātus (past participle of confoederāre to unite in a league), equivalent to con-con- + foeder- (stem of foedus) treaty (see fidelity) + -ātus-ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM confederate

half-Con·fed·er·ate, adjectivenon·con·fed·er·ate, adjective, nounpro-Con·fed·er·ate, adjectiveun·con·fed·er·at·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use confederate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for confederate (1 of 2)

confederate

noun (kənˈfɛdərɪt, -ˈfɛdrɪt)
a nation, state, or individual that is part of a confederacy
someone who is part of a conspiracy; accomplice
adjective (kənˈfɛdərɪt, -ˈfɛdrɪt)
united in a confederacy; allied
verb (kənˈfɛdəˌreɪt)
to form into or become part of a confederacy

Word Origin for confederate

C14: from Late Latin confoederātus, from confoederāre to unite by a league, from Latin com- together + foedus treaty

British Dictionary definitions for confederate (2 of 2)

Confederate
/ (kənˈfɛdərɪt, -ˈfɛdrɪt) /

adjective
of, supporting, or relating to the Confederate States of America
noun
a supporter of the Confederate States of America
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for confederate

Confederate

A descriptive term for the institutions and people of the Confederacy.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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