Meaning & use

confederation

noun·Academic

Last updated

A union of states, groups, or organizations that agree to work together while keeping most of their own independence.

See it in a sentence

The colonies formed a loose confederation before adopting a stronger constitution.

The confederation of labor unions negotiated jointly with the company.

A note on using this word

In a confederation, member states typically keep more independent power than in a federation, where the central government is stronger.

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