1
as in confederacy
an association of persons, parties, or states for mutual assistance and protection
the smaller nations were forced to form a confederation out of self-defense
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2
as in association
the state of having shared interests or efforts (as in social or business matters)
the big-budget movie was produced by the studio in confederation with another in order to lower the risk
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confederation
Likewise the Umuchu, and the Isuochi and Nneato of Okigwe in present-day Nigeria, formed defensive confederations to pool their resources.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
This applies to all confederations except UEFA, which is represented by 16 teams.
—Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
The other confederations with the largest representation are Africa, which has already qualified nine, the Asian confederation with eight, and six apiece for South America and the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
This loose confederation of frenemies had originated not in Dubai but in the Netherlands.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confederation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confederation
Noun
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Long before settlers came to the Americas, there was a confederacy and governance system between three tribes: the Ottawa, the Ojibwe and the Potawatomi.—
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The confederacy of tribes was pressured into ceding lands to the state of New York, and further displaced by ensuing frontier settlement.—
Noun
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Advocacy groups and the various associations of government service providers who lobby the Legislature are likely to press lawmakers not to make reductions at the same time as the federal government.—
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At least one person was hurt during the parade, when wind gusts reached 30 mph, but is expected to be OK, the association's president previously told CBS News Philadelphia.—
Noun
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Kebede said the federation did not receive an explanation for the rejections.—
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The federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an extremely rare occurrence never happen again.—
Noun
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The multiyear partnership will also rely on Google’s Gemini and cloud technology for future Apple foundational models, according to a joint statement obtained by CNBC’s Jim Cramer.—
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Erika Beck, president of CSUN, touted the university’s partnerships throughout the community and the innovative career choice options for its students.—
Noun
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The debate within the Democratic coalition is already bigger and louder, dividing moderates in swing states from progressives elated by Mamdani's rocket to victory in the nation's largest city.—
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The coalition behind #BeGood includes Maremoto, Move On, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Working Families Power and leaders from every sector of the entertainment industry are showing support.—
Noun
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On the partnership side, Lyft executives framed the collaboration as a shift in vehicle economics.—
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However, Flores’ time in Miami was marred by criticism about his communication and collaboration skills.—
Noun
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The union’s counter proposal to the league would give players around 30% of the gross revenue.—
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There are many reasons why America bucks this global trend, but much of it comes down to an historic reliance on unions to fight for time off and their waning influence today, coupled with a demanding work culture that hasn’t evolved much since the industrial revolution.—
Noun
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The former Nickelodeon star spoke about the allegedly abusive relationship with her late mother, Debra, throughout her childhood.—
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Pearl explores the relationship between cultural prizes and ideas of nationhood, as well as imposter syndrome and external validation, like MFAs, literary awards, and being seen writing in coffeeshops by and with other writers.—
Cite this Entry
“Confederation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederation. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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