Confederacy, n.; pl. Confederacies.
Etymology: [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. The friendships of the world are oft Confederacies in vice or leagues of pleasure. Addison. He hath heard of our confederacy. Shak. Virginia promoted a confederacy. Bancroft.
2. The persons, bodies, states, or nations united by a league; a confederation. The Grecian common wealth, . . . the most heroic confederacy that ever existed. Harris. Virgil has a whole confederacy against him. Dryden.
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.
1 more senses
Syn. -- League; compact; alliance; association; union; combination; confederation.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for confederacy; he lists it under alliance, association, cabal.
Where he writes about it:
In a confederacy or confederation there is an attempt to unite separate states in a general government without surrender of sovereignty. — from alliance
The United States is not a confederacy nor an alliance; the nation might be called a federation, but prefers to be styled a federal union. — from alliance
We speak of an alliance of nations, a club of pleasure-seekers, a community of Shakers, a company of soldiers or of friends, a confederacy, confederation, federation, or union of separate states under one general government, a partnership or company of business men, a conjunction of planets. — from association