confederate
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confederate¹
- /kənˈfɛdəɹət/
Where it comes from
First attested in 1387, in Middle english; inherited from Middle English confederat(e) (“confederated, allied, associated in a plot; united or bound, as in friendship or troth”), borrowed from Late Latin cōnfoederātus perfect passive participle of cōnfoederō, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English. By surface analysis, con- + federate.
adjective more confederate · most confederate · confœderate
- Of, relating to, or united in a confederacy
- Banded together; allied. All the swords / In Italy, and her confederate arms, / Could not have made this peace.
- Confederated. Remember as thou read'ſt, thy promiſe paſt : I do repent me, reade not my name there, My heart is not confederate with my hand.
noun confederates · confœderate
-
A member of a confederacy.
Similar: ally
-
An accomplice in a plot.
By'th'vvay, vve met my vvife, her ſiſter, and a rabble more
Of vilde confederates : […]
Similar: conspirator
-
An actor who participates in a psychological experiment pretending to be a subject but in actuality working for the researcher.
So how do you win the imitation game? “Just be yourself,” a past confederate advises Christian. But what does it mean to “be yourself”?
Similar: conspirator, stooge
confederate²
- /kənˈfɛdəɹeɪt/
Where it comes from
First attested in 1531; borrowed from Late Latin cōnfoederātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Doublet of (obsolete) confeder.
verb confederates · confederating · confederated · confœderate
- To unite persons or states in a league, confederacy or conspiracy; to ally, league. With them the gods were confederated to break barbarian arrogance.
Confederate³
adjective
- Of or relating to the Confederate States of America. Yes. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s Attorney General and the unfortunate result of Dobby the house elf’s one-night stand with the Confederate flag, got in trouble this-, (enjoy!) got in trouble this week for undisclosed meetings with Russia’s ambassadors, something which, in itself, is not against the law.
- Of or relating to the political movement in favour of Confederation between Newfoundland and Canada.
- Of or relating to Confederate Ireland or the Irish Confederate Wars.
noun Confederates
-
A citizen of the Confederate States of America.
In fact, I heard everything in the world except that the Confederates lost the war. When I was ten years old, it was a violent shock to learn that General Lee had been defeated.
Similar: rebel, Johnny Reb, southron, Southerner · Opposite: Unionist
- A supporter of Confederation between Newfoundland and Canada.
- A supporter of Irish Catholic self-rule during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: ally, southern, collaborator, allied, henchman, band together, united, friend, confederacy, confederal, associate, co-conspirator, partner, accomplice, accessory, conspiratorial
Translations
Every language
adj of, relating to, or united in a confederacy
| Español | confederado |
|---|
noun an accomplice in a plot
| Русский | соуча́стник součástnik, соо́бщник soóbščnik |
|---|
noun a member of a confederacy
| Français | confédéré, confédérée |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Konföderierter, Konföderierte |
| Русский | конфедера́т konfederát, конфедера́тка konfederátka |
noun an actor in an experiment
| Русский | подставное лицо́ podstavnoje licó |
|---|
verb to unite, combine persons or states in a confederacy
| Français | confédérer |
|---|
Talk about this word "confederate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/confederate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. confederate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/confederate "confederate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/confederate.Cite this
@misc{confederate_2026,
title = {confederate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/confederate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
