confederacy
- confederacy
confederacy late 14c.,
from Anglo-Fr. confederacie (
O.Fr. confederacie),
from stem of L. confoederatio,
from confoederare (
see CONFEDERATE (
Cf. confederate)).
Earliest in reference to leagues of classical Greek states (
Aetolian,
Achaean,
etc.),
later of the Netherlands.
The word was used of the United States of America under (
and in)
the Articles of Confederation (
1777-
1788).
In reference to the breakaway Confederate States of America (
1861-
1865)
from 1861.
Confederacy now usually implies a looser or more temporary association than confederation, which is applied to a union of states organized on an intentionally permanent basis. [OED]
Etymology dictionary.
2014.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
Confederacy — may refer to: A Confederation, an association of sovereign states or communities. Examples include: Confederate States of America, eleven southern states of the United States of America between 1861 and 1865. Confederacy may also reference the… … Wikipedia
Confederacy — Con*fed er*a*cy, n.; pl. {Confederacies}. [From {Confederate}, a.] 1. A league or compact between two or more persons, bodies of men, or states, for mutual support or common action; alliance. [1913 Webster] The friendships of the world are oft… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
confederacy — I (compact) noun affiliation, alignment, alliance, association, body, cartel, coalition, combination, combine, concurrence, confederation, confraternity, consolidation, coterie, federation, fellowship, foedus, fusion, guild, league, pactum, set,… … Law dictionary
confederacy — ► NOUN (pl. confederacies) 1) a league or alliance, especially of confederate states. 2) (the Confederacy) the Confederate states of the US … English terms dictionary
confederacy — [kən fed′ər ə sē] n. pl. confederacies [ME & OFr confederacie < LL confoederatus: see CONFEDERATE] 1. people, groups, nations, or states united for some common purpose 2. a league or alliance formed by such a union; federation or confederation … English World dictionary
Confederacy — Con*fed er*a*cy, n. (Amer. Hist.) With the, the Confederate States of America. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Confederacy — Confederacy, the also the Confederate States in the American Civil War, the southern states of the US, which fought the northern states (the Union) and lost … Dictionary of contemporary English
confederacy — confederacy, confederation federation, coalition, fusion, *alliance, league … New Dictionary of Synonyms
confederacy — [n] coalition alliance, anschluss, bond, compact, confederation, conspiracy, covenant, federation, government, league, organization, union; concepts 299,301 … New thesaurus
confederacy — /keuhn fed euhr euh see, fed reuh see/, n., pl. confederacies. 1. an alliance between persons, parties, states, etc., for some purpose. 2. a group of persons, parties, states, etc., united by such a confederacy. 3. a combination of persons for… … Universalium
