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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
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
-
Long before settlers came to the Americas, there was a confederacy and governance system between three tribes: the Ottawa, the Ojibwe and the Potawatomi.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The confederacy of tribes was pressured into ceding lands to the state of New York, and further displaced by ensuing frontier settlement.—
Matthew Smith,
The Conversation,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
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.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In a ruling Thursday following 11 months of investigation and litigation in a case that has become a cause for national shame in Norway and forced FIS to revamp its enforcement protocols, the committee decided to back the federation’s request for a punishment far harsher than previous penalties.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Last year, the French federation of e-commerce operators, known by the acronym Fevad, ranked Aroma-Zone as France’s number-one e-commerce site, beating out Amazon, according to feedback from the public.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Erika Beck, president of CSUN, touted the university’s partnerships throughout the community and the innovative career choice options for its students.—
Marianne Love,
Daily News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
12 Jan. 2026
-
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.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Why designs keep breaking MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science PhD student Faraz Faruqi led the work in collaboration with researchers from Google, Stability AI, and Northeastern University.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
-
It's led to collaborations with companies, and his following has grown to over a quarter of a million people.—
Charlie De Mar,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Only two other individuals stood for comment, both of whom represented unions.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Among the controversial bills this session are measures regarding union fees, artificial intelligence regulation and a bill to tax pot based on its potency.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The former Nickelodeon star spoke about the allegedly abusive relationship with her late mother, Debra, throughout her childhood.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
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.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confederation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederation. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
