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
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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
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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
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Advancing into the knockout rounds brings additional prize money, more broadcast exposure, more sponsor visibility and a longer commercial runway for federations and players.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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Gang federations such as the G9, for example, has blockaded access to ports and restricted access to gasoline and diesel supplies, while other groups, including the 5 Segonn gang, have periodically blocked access to the private Port Lafito.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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In diverse Los Angeles, mayors are elected by building coalitions, ethnically and geographically.—
Michael R. Blood,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Noun
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The community also signed cooperation agreements with KPS, the Institute of Language Sciences of Shanghai International Studies University, AltStory, and Kuaizi, with the partnerships focused on data sets, linguistic corpus building, and research into AI agents.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 June 2026
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Third, augment human capabilities with AI, connected architecture and long-term partnerships — with humans always in the lead.—
Harpreet Sidhu,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Noun
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To succeed, Democrats must now demonstrate that, despite the costs, America’s security at home depends on its influence abroad; shaping foreign policy around traditional values benefits Americans; and respecting alliances is a source of strength.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
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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
Noun
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This World Cup, with its unprecedented global outreach, offers a unique opportunity to observe the values, beliefs and relationships that players choose to display on their bodies.—
Gustavo Morello,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
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Rather than seeking to modernize the text through flamboyant stylistic devices, director Gaël Morel offers a nuanced reinterpretation of its human relationships, focusing on how the characters interact, confront one another, and engage in dialogue.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Noun
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During last year’s budget negotiations, public sector unions signed new agreements with the state that resulted in moderate pay increases in exchange for suspending retirement contributions and instituting a leave program for state employees.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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The measure is designed to prevent landlords from punishing tenants who exercise their legal rights, including filing complaints, joining tenant unions, withholding rent for serious issues, or speaking publicly about unsafe housing.—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Amy and Bill Koman are passionate cancer research advocates and co-founders of Curebound, a cancer research accelerator forging powerful collaborations to advance innovative science into lifesaving cures.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
-
Specials change with the season and often involve collaborations with other favorite local food businesses.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confederations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederations. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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