con·fed·er·a·tion

(kən-fĕd′ə-rā′shən)

a. The act of forming into or becoming part of a confederacy.

b. The state of being confederated.

2. A group of confederates, especially of states or nations, united for a common purpose; a league.

3. Confederation

a. The union of the British North American colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada, brought about July 1, 1867, under the name Dominion of Canada.

b. Federal union of all the Canadian provinces and territories.

con·fed′er·a′tion·ism n.

con·fed′er·a′tion·ist n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

confederation

(kənˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən)

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

2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a loose alliance of political units. The union of the Swiss cantons is the oldest surviving confederation. Compare federation

3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (esp in Canada) another name for federation

conˌfederˈationˌism n

conˌfederˈationist n

conˈfederative adj

Confederation

(kənˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən)

1. (Historical Terms) the Confederation history US the original 13 states of the United States of America constituted under the Articles of Confederation and superseded by the more formal union established in 1789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. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the federation of Canada, formed with four original provinces in 1867 and since joined by eight more

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•fed•er•a•tion

(kənˌfɛd əˈreɪ ʃən)

n.

1. the act of confederating.

2. the state of being confederated.

3. a league or alliance.

4. a group of confederates, esp. 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. (cap.) the Canadian federation of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, formed in 1867 and since joined by six more provinces.

[1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin]

syn: See alliance.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	confederation - the state of being allied or confederated alliance coalition, fusion - the state of being combined into one body
	2.	confederation - a union of political organizations confederacy, federation nation - a federation of tribes (especially Native American tribes); "the Shawnee nation" Creek Confederacy - a North American Indian confederacy organized by the Muskogee that dominated the southeastern part of the United States before being removed to Oklahoma Hanseatic League - a commercial and defensive confederation of free cities in northern Germany and surrounding areas; formed in 1241 and most influential in the 14th century when it included over 100 towns and functioned as an independent political power; the last official assembly was held in 1669 union - a political unit formed from previously independent people or organizations; "the Soviet Union"
	3.	confederation - the act of forming an alliance or confederation alliance group action - action taken by a group of people

confederation

noun

1. An association, especially of nations for a common cause:

alliance, Anschluss, bloc, cartel, coalition, confederacy, federation, league, organization, union.

2. A group of people united in a relationship and having some interest, activity, or purpose in common:

association, club, congress, federation, fellowship, fraternity, guild, league, order, organization, society, sorority, union.

Translations

اتِّحادُ دُوَل

konfederacespojení

forbundsammenslutning

Bund Eidgenossenschaft

συνομοσπονδία

confederación

confédération

sambandsmyndun; bandalag

confederazione

birleşmiş devletler topluluğukonfederasyon

同盟邦联

confederation

[kənˌfedəˈreɪʃən] N → confederación f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

confederation

[kənˌfɛdəˈreɪʃ^ən] n → confédération f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

confederation

(Pol) (= alliance) → Bündnis nt, → Bund m; (= system of government) → Staatenbund m, → Konföderation f; the Swiss Confederation → die Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft

(= association) → Bund m; Confederation of British Industry → Verband m → der britischen Industrie

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

confederation

[kənˌfɛdəˈreɪʃ/ən] n → confederazione f

confederate

(kənˈfedərət) noun

a person who has agreed to work with others (eg on something dishonest). He and his confederates were found with stolen money in their possession.

conˈfederacy (-rəsi) – plural conˈfederacies – noun

a league or alliance (of states etc).

conˌfedeˈration noun

(the forming of) a league or alliance, especially of states etc.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

On the contrary, that same assembly which issued the Declaration of Independence, instead of continuing to act in the name and by the authority of the good people of the United States, had, immediately after the appointment of the committee to prepare the Declaration, appointed another committee, of one member from each colony, to prepare and digest the form of confederation to be entered into between the colonies.

That committee reported on the twelfth of July, eight days after the Declaration of Independence had been issued, a draft of articles of confederation between the colonies.

There was thus no congeniality of principle between the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. The foundation of the former was a superintending Providence- -the rights of man, and the constituent revolutionary power of the people.

Where, then, did each State get the sovereignty, freedom, and independence, which the Articles of Confederation declare it retains?--not from the whole people of the whole Union--not from the Declaration of Independence--not from the people of the State itself.

In the Articles of Confederation, this order of agency is inverted.

View in context

IN REVIEWING the defects of the existing Confederation, and showing that they cannot be supplied by a government of less energy than that before the public, several of the most important principles of the latter fell of course under consideration.

It has been shown in the course of these papers, that the existing Confederation is founded on principles which are fallacious; that we must consequently change this first foundation, and with it the superstructure resting upon it.

View in context

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

View in context

THE UTILITY OF THE UNION TO YOUR POLITICAL PROSPERITY THE INSUFFICIENCY OF THE PRESENT CONFEDERATION TO PRESERVE THAT UNION THE NECESSITY OF A GOVERNMENT AT LEAST EQUALLY ENERGETIC WITH THE ONE PROPOSED, TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THIS OBJECT THE CONFORMITY OF THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION TO THE TRUE PRINCIPLES OF REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT ITS ANALOGY TO YOUR OWN STATE CONSTITUTION and lastly, THE ADDITIONAL SECURITY WHICH ITS ADOPTION WILL AFFORD TO THE PRESERVATION OF THAT SPECIES OF GOVERNMENT, TO LIBERTY, AND TO PROPERTY.

View in context

During that triumvirate of kings, King Henry the Eighth of England, Francis the First King of France, and Charles the Fifth Emperor, there was such a watch kept, that none of the three could win a palm of ground, but the other two would straightways balance it, either by confederation, or, if need were, by a war; and would not in any wise take up peace at interest.

View in context

Was the will of the Confederation of the Rhine transferred to Napoleon in 1806?

View in context