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1

confederate

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adjective con·fed·er·ate \kən-ˈfe-d(ə-)rət\

Definition of confederate

  1. 1 :  united in a league :  allied

  2. 2 capitalized :  of or relating to the Confederate States of America

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Origin and Etymology of confederate

Middle English confederat, from Late Latin confoederatus, past participle of confoederare to unite by a league, from Latin com- + foeder-, foedus compact — more at federal

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

2

confederate

noun con·fed·er·ate

Definition of confederate

  1. 1 :  ally, accomplice

  2. 2 capitalized :  an adherent of the Confederate States of America or their cause

See confederate defined for English-language learners

Examples of confederate in a Sentence

  1. the Yankees and the Confederates

  2. the police were able to track down his confederates once the thief started talking

First Known Use of confederate

15th century

confederate Synonyms

Synonyms
abettor (also abetter), accessory (also accessary), cohort, accomplice
Related Words
collaborationist, collaborator, informant, informer; evidence, state's evidence; companion, comrade, crony, henchman, partner; conspirator, plotter, traitor; gangster, mobster, racketeer
Near Antonyms
belittler, detractor; adversary, enemy, foe, opponent

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

3

confederate

play
verb con·fed·er·ate \kən-ˈfe-də-ˌrāt\

Definition of confederate

confederated

;

confederating
  1. transitive verb

  2. :  to unite in a confederacy

  3. intransitive verb

  4. :  to band together

confederative

play \kən-ˈfe-d(ə-)rə-tiv, -də-ˌrā-\ adjective

Examples of confederate in a Sentence

  1. the nations confederated in order to lower international trade barriers

First Known Use of confederate

1531

confederate Synonyms

Synonyms
associate, band (together), club, coalesce, cohere, ally, conjoin, cooperate, federate, league, unite
Antonyms
break up, disband
Related Words
cabal, collaborate, gang up, hang together, team (up); incorporate, organize, unionize; affiliate; amalgamate, combine, conglomerate, consolidate, converge, group, join, merge; knot, link, tie, wed
Near Antonyms
detach, disengage, dissolve, disunite, divorce, part, segregate, separate, sever, split, sunder; alienate, estrange, fall out

CONFEDERATE Defined for English Language Learners

confederate

noun

Definition of confederate for English Language Learners

  • : a person who helps someone do something

  • Confederate : a soldier, citizen, or supporter of the Confederacy during the American Civil War

CONFEDERATE Defined for Kids

1

confederate

play
adjective con·fed·er·ate \kən-ˈfe-də-rət\

Definition of confederate for Students

  1. 1 :  united in a league

  2. 2 cap :  of or relating to the southern Confederacy Her grandfather collected Confederate stamps.

2

confederate

play
noun con·fed·er·ate

Definition of confederate for Students

  1. 1 :  a member of a league of persons, parties, or states

  2. 2 :  accomplice

  3. 3 cap :  a soldier of or a person who sided with the southern Confederacy

Learn More about confederate

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for confederate Spanish Central: Translation of confederate Nglish: Translation of confederate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of confederate for Arabic speakers

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Examples: confederate in a Sentence