1
as in confederacies
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 associations
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 confederations
Chosen from all six confederations and across 50 FIFA member associations, the 170-strong refereeing contingent – featuring six women – is the largest roster of officials in tournament history.
—
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
Blatter often had to yield to lesser chiefs, such as the heads of the continental confederations, in order to maintain his grip on power.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
The pattern had jumped continents and confederations.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 1 June 2026
Concacaf is one of FIFA’s six continental confederations, covering soccer teams from Canada up north to Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana in the south.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
There are six teams from five confederations.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The intercontinental playoff features six teams from five different confederations (AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL and OFC) with two spots up for grabs.
—José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
There can be only up to two European teams per group and only one team per group from each of the remaining five continental confederations under FIFA.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 5 Dec. 2025
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
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
Blatter often had to yield to lesser chiefs, such as the heads of the continental confederations, in order to maintain his grip on power.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
The pattern had jumped continents and confederations.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 1 June 2026
Concacaf is one of FIFA’s six continental confederations, covering soccer teams from Canada up north to Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana in the south.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
There are six teams from five confederations.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The intercontinental playoff features six teams from five different confederations (AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL and OFC) with two spots up for grabs.
—José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
There can be only up to two European teams per group and only one team per group from each of the remaining five continental confederations under FIFA.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 5 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confederations
Noun
-
As such, the football federations representing both Egypt and Iran have publicly objected to any Pride celebrations around the match.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The fixture, set for June 26 at Lumen Field, falls on the Friday before Seattle’s LGBTQ+ celebrations, and has prompted protests from both governments and their soccer federations.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Brennan explained that explorations of society’s associations with mental health, both broadly in the aftermath of World War II and specifically Gein’s own struggles with schizophrenia, were key when penning the script.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
-
The letter was signed by representatives of four employee groups, including associations representing office, public works, supervisory, professional, managerial and confidential employees.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
The coalitions’ members are already doing many of the things outlined in Abbott’s letter, such as using advanced cooling technologies, working closely with communities and paying for power and energy infrastructure costs, Diorio said.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
-
In diverse Los Angeles, mayors are elected by building coalitions, ethnically and geographically.—
Michael R. Blood,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The company is leaning heavily on partnerships, including with Samsung and luxury eyewear brand Gentle Monster, to blend technology with everyday style.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
-
Further cooperation to secure supply chains and pursue economic partnerships in Africa is also part of the new approach.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In practice, these transfers can help members build alliances, strengthen their party standing and direct resources to competitive races.—
Mayank Kejriwal,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
-
Third Way is encouraging Democrats to articulate a foreign policy that prioritizes stabilizing and strengthening alliances and trade relationships to the benefit of the US.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
In the meantime, Texas Tech will do whatever is needed to repair any type of fractured relationships within the Big 12 this has caused.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
In most other competitions, clubs establish individual relationships with manufacturers.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Communities, political parties, unions, students, and civil society stood together and worked as one so that the voice of a nation could be heard.—
Sarah Lynch Baldwin,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
-
The director added that his commitments to directorial projects, unions, and his film school stretches him thin.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
His foray into country includes a platinum album, hit collaborations, and a world tour featuring prominent country musicians.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The partnership will integrate Rematch into the PSG Academy ecosystem and allow for social media collaborations.—
Vitas Carosella,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confederations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederations. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
