- [countable]
a union of states, groups of people or political parties with the same aim 联盟；同盟；联邦 - the Confederacy[singular](also the Confederate States)
the eleven southern states of the US that left the United States in 1860–1, starting the American Civil War 邦联： 1860–1年离开美国的美国南部11个州，爆发了美国内战
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French confederacie, based on Latin confoederare ‘join together in league’, from con- ‘together’ + foederare ‘join in league with’.