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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
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

Words nearby confederate

confectioners' sugar, confectionery, confed., confederacy, confederal, confederate, Confederate jasmine, Confederate Memorial Day, Confederate States of America, Confederate War, confederation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to confederate

amalgamated, associated, combined, federal, federated, incorporated, leagued, organized, syndicated, unionized, accessory, accomplice, ally, coconspirator, collaborator, colleague, conspirator, fellow, partner, corporate

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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