confederacy

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an alliance or union of states, organizations, or groups formed for a common purpose

   The neighboring states formed a confederacy for trade and mutual defense.

2. 2
   noun

   a group of people joined in a common undertaking, sometimes a secret or unlawful one

   The nobles entered a confederacy to resist the crown's new taxes.

Simplified etymology

Confederacy is recorded from late Middle English. It is related to confederate, from Latin confoederatus, meaning “joined together in a league or treaty,” and to federal through Latin foedus, meaning “treaty” or “agreement.” The eleven southern Confederate States were a confederacy from 1860 to 1865.

From Middle English confederacie, through Anglo-Norman confederacie, from Latin confoederatio, 'an agreement or league.' The Latin verb confoederare meant 'to unite by treaty,' from con- ('together') + foedus ('treaty, compact'). Confederation is a doublet from the same Latin source.

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