confederate

[ adjective, noun kuhn-fed-er-it, -fed-rit; verb kuhn-fed-uh-reyt ]
See synonyms for: confederateconfederatedconfederating on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. united in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.

  2. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the Confederate States of America: the Confederate army.

noun
  1. a person, group, nation, etc., united with others in a confederacy; an ally.

  2. an accomplice, especially in a mischievous or criminal act.

  1. (initial capital letter)U.S. History. a supporter of the Confederate States of America.

verb (used with or without object),con·fed·er·at·ed, con·fed·er·at·ing.
  1. to unite in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.

Origin of confederate

1
1350–1400; Middle English confederat<Late Latin confoederātus (past participle of confoederāre to unite in a league), equivalent to con-con- + foeder- (stem of foedus) treaty (see fidelity) + -ātus-ate1

Other words for confederate

Other words from confederate

  • half-Con·fed·er·ate, adjective
  • non·con·fed·er·ate, adjective, noun
  • pro-Con·fed·er·ate, adjective
  • un·con·fed·er·at·ed, adjective

Words Nearby confederate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use confederate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for confederate (1 of 2)

confederate

noun(kənˈfɛdərɪt, -ˈfɛdrɪt)
  1. a nation, state, or individual that is part of a confederacy

  2. someone who is part of a conspiracy; accomplice

adjective(kənˈfɛdərɪt, -ˈfɛdrɪt)
  1. united in a confederacy; allied

verb(kənˈfɛdəˌreɪt)
  1. to form into or become part of a confederacy

Origin of confederate

1
C14: from Late Latin confoederātus, from confoederāre to unite by a league, from Latin com- together + foedus treaty

British Dictionary definitions for Confederate (2 of 2)

Confederate

/ (kənˈfɛdərɪt, -ˈfɛdrɪt) /


adjective
  1. of, supporting, or relating to the Confederate States of America

noun
  1. a supporter of the Confederate States of America

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Confederate

Confederate

A descriptive term for the institutions and people of the Confederacy.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.