Confederacy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kənˈfɛdəɹəsi/

Definitions

1. An alliance formed by multiple states or groups that collaborate for a shared goal while maintaining their own autonomy
2. A coalition of distinct entities that unite for mutual benefit or interest but preserve their independent governance
3. A union of separate states or organizations that join together under a common purpose while keeping their separate powers

Etymology: Confederacy is a close cousin of "confederation," and the two are doublets: both descend from the same Latin source, cōnfoederātiō, which came from "cōnfoederāre," to unite by a league or treaty. The Latin verb was built from "cum" (together) and "foedus" (a treaty or pact), so at its root the word is about binding parties together by agreement. English picked up the noun through Anglo-Norman and Middle English, and it has been used since the medieval period for an alliance of parties sworn to one another. The word is most familiar today from the American Civil War, when the eleven Southern states formed the Confederate States of America and their government was called the Confederacy. The name stuck to that alliance so strongly that many people now hear the word and think of that conflict first, though the term itself is much older and general in meaning.

Synonyms: alliance, union, coalition

Antonyms: disunion, separation