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  history the original 13 states of the United States of America constituted under the Articles of Confederation and superseded by the more formal union established in 1789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 history the original 13 states of the United States of America constituted under the Articles of Confederation and superseded by the more formal union established in 1789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

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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

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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

When Alberta and Saskatchewan joined the confederation in 1905, the federal government retained control over their natural resources until 1930, unlike the original four provinces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

“We’re almost like a loose confederation of small specialty stores, and I think that creates such a rich culture for us,” Mahady said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Tito's death in 1980 was the beginning of the end for Yugoslavia - always an uneasy confederation of opposing factions, competing nationalisms and simmering hatred.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

In Oceania, which has 11 member associations, New Zealand has said it will not follow the confederation and vote for him.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

The Blackfoot were a tightly organized confederation of groups that inhabited the plains between the Missouri and Saskatchewan Rivers.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The Japanese Trade Union Confederation, known as Rengo, said it would demand wage hikes of at least 5% at the shunto negotiations that take place every spring between the country’s unions and employers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Shazia Ejaz, director of campaigns at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, says jobseekers should approach questions about pay with "realism but also confidence".

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Under the pre-Constitution Articles of Confederation, states engaged in predatory behavior as they sought commercial advantage over other states.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

The president of the Swiss Confederation is first among equals on the Federal Council, chairs its meetings and typically represents the country in major domestic and international matters.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

“I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards’ Conference?”

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

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