confederacy

Noun
Synonyms: ConfederacyConfederate StatesConfederate States of AmericaSouthDixieDixielandconfederationfederationconspiracy

WordNet 3.0

Noun (4)

  1. the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861Synonyms: ConfederacyConfederate StatesConfederate States of AmericaSouthDixieDixieland
  2. a union of political organizationsSynonyms: confederationfederation
  3. a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful or illegal purposeSynonyms: conspiracy
  4. a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful actSynonyms: conspiracy
Advertisement

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Confederacy \Con*fed"er*a*cy\, n. (Amer. Hist.) With the, the Confederate States of America. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Confederacy \Con*fed"er*a*cy\, n.; pl. Confederacies. [From Confederate, a.]

1.A league or compact between two or more persons, bodies of men, or states, for mutual support or common action; alliance. [1913 Webster]

The friendships of the world are oft Confederacies in vice or leagues of pleasure.— Addison.[1913 Webster]
He hath heard of our confederacy.— Shak.[1913 Webster]
Virginia promoted a confederacy.— Bancroft.[1913 Webster]

2.The persons, bodies, states, or nations united by a league; a confederation. [1913 Webster]

The Grecian common wealth, . . . the most heroic confederacy that ever existed.— Harris.[1913 Webster]
Virgil has a whole confederacy against him.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]

3.(Law) A combination of two or more persons to commit an unlawful act, or to do a lawful act by unlawful means. See Conspiracy.

Syn: League; compact; alliance; association; union; combination; confederation. [1913 Webster]

Advertisement