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  history the original 13 states of the United States of America constituted under the Articles of Confederation and superseded by the more formal union established in 1789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 history the original 13 states of the United States of America constituted under the Articles of Confederation and superseded by the more formal union established in 1789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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

It requires international travel to attend confederation meetings, and the global tournaments Fifa organises.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Concacaf, the confederation Infantino worked so closely with to organise the 2026 World Cup, has called for a "full review" into the leadership of Fifa in light of Infantino's plan.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 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

The Old Dominion was accustomed to thinking of itself as primus inter pares in any confederation of states.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

"This is an unacceptable shift away from, and abolition of, the policy that urged companies to shorten work hours," the National Confederation of Trade Unions in Tokyo, commonly known as Zenroren, said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

A majority of businesses surveyed in a recent poll for the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise said they oppose EU membership.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Infantino, who is seeking a fourth a term as Fifa president in March, was accused of breaking trust "through deception" in an open letter issued by Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Whatever its origin, Juliana Domico, the legal representative and chief Indigenous councillor to the National Confederation of the Peoples of the Great Emberá Nation of Colombia, rejects the idea that the practice is cultural.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

His knights were to fight, not against gallowglasses, but against the knights of the Gaelic Confederation.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White