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• confederation
  confederation

  noun

  the act of confederating.
• Confederation
  Confederation

  noun

  history the original 13 states of the United States of America constituted under the Articles of Confederation and superseded by the more formal union established in 1789

confederation

American  

[kuhn-fed-uh-rey-shuhn] / kənˌfɛd əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of confederating.

2. the state of being confederated.

3. a league or alliance.

   Synonyms:

   federation, coalition

4. a group of confederates, especially of states more or less permanently united for common purposes.

5. the Confederation, the union of the 13 original U.S. states under the Articles of Confederation 1781–89.

6. (initial capital letter) the federation of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, formed in 1867 and constituting the Dominion of Canada.

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Confederation ¹ British  

/ kənˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. history the original 13 states of the United States of America constituted under the Articles of Confederation and superseded by the more formal union established in 1789

2. the federation of Canada, formed with four original provinces in 1867 and since joined by eight more

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confederation ² British  

/ kənˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of confederating or the state of being confederated

2. a loose alliance of political units. The union of the Swiss cantons is the oldest surviving confederation Compare federation

3. (esp in Canada) another name for federation

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confederation Cultural  

1. A group of nations or states, or a government encompassing several states or political divisions, in which the component states retain considerable independence. The members of a confederation often delegate only a few powers to the central authority.

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Synonym Usage

See alliance.

Discover More

Canada is officially a confederation of provinces.

The United States was governed as a confederation in the first few years of its independence (see Articles of Confederation).

Other Word Forms

• anticonfederationism
  noun
• anticonfederationist
  noun
• confederationism
  noun
• confederationist
  noun
• nonconfederation
  noun
• confederative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of confederation

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin confoederātiō “agreement,” from confoederāt(us) “united” (past participle of confoederāre “to unite in a league”; see confederate) + -iō -ion

Explanation

When a group of people or nations form an alliance, it is called a confederation, allowing each member to govern itself but agreeing to work together for common causes. Perhaps the best-known confederation was the South during the U.S. Civil War. The noun confederation comes from the early 15th Century, meaning “an agreement.” Confederation is similar to the word "federation," but with important differences. Whereas a federation has a strong central government, a confederation is more of an agreement between separate bodies to cooperate with each other. The European alliance could be called a confederation, while the United States is a federation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

confederation Confederation

It cannot be guaranteed that every nation will toe the line of their confederation.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

The confederation described both appointments as an unprecedented event for the region.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

But getting the necessary 19 of 36 confederation and football association heads to support it has proven to be exceptionally difficult.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Fifa president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors appears to be in jeopardy, with a third confederation expressing opposition.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Patuxet was one of the dozen or so settlements in what is now eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island that comprised the Wampanoag confederation.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The Oceania Football Confederation said it welcomed Fifa's decision to withdraw the proposal, but stopped short of declaring or withdrawing support for Infantino.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

And the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf, which oversees North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, also expressed deep concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

The Confederation of Businesses of Ceuta has advised shops and other commercial establishments to remain closed "until security can be guaranteed".

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Concacaf, the 41-member organization of the Americas, has rejected the proposal, as has the Asian Football Confederation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The International Confederation of Wizards argued the matter out at their famous summit meeting of 1692.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling