confederate

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations'confederate', 'Confederate': /kənˈfɛdərət/

US:USA pronunciation: IPAUSA pronunciation: IPA/adj., n. kənˈfɛdərɪt; v. kənˈfɛdəˌreɪt/

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(adj., n. kən fed′ər it, -fed′rit; v. kən fed′ə rāt′)


Inflections of 'confederate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
confederates
v 3rd person singular
confederating
v pres p
confederated
v past
confederated
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
con•fed•er•ate /adj., n. kənˈfɛdərɪt; v. kənˈfɛdəˌreɪt/USA pronunciation   adj., n., v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
adj. [usually: before a noun]
  1. Governmentunited in an alliance or conspiracy.
  2. American History[Confederate] of or relating to the Confederate States of America.

n. [countable]
  1. Governmenta person, nation, etc., united with others in a confederacy;
    an ally.
  2. someone working with another in an illegal or criminal act;
    an accomplice.
  3. American History[Confederate] a supporter of the Confederate States of America.

v. 
  1. Governmentto unite in a league, alliance, or conspiracy: [no object]If those independent states manage to confederate, their combined power could be a threat to us.[~ + object]He tried to confederate the various states into one power.
See -fed-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
con•fed•er•ate  (adj., n. kən fed′ər it, -fed′rit;v. kən fed′ə rāt′),USA pronunciation adj., n., v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
adj. 
  1. Governmentunited in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.
  2. American History(cap.) of or pertaining to the Confederate States of America:the Confederate army.

n. 
  1. Governmenta person, group, nation, etc., united with others in a confederacy;
    an ally.
  2. an accomplice, esp. in a mischievous or criminal act.
  3. American History(cap.) [U.S. Hist.]a supporter of the Confederate States of America.

v.t., v.i. 
  1. Governmentto unite in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.
  • 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
  • Middle English confederat 1350–1400
    3. associate, partner, cohort.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
confederate n /kənˈfɛdərɪt; -ˈfɛdrɪt/
  1. a nation, state, or individual that is part of a confederacy
  2. someone who is part of a conspiracy; accomplice
 adj /kənˈfɛdərɪt; -ˈfɛdrɪt/
  1. united in a confederacy; allied
 vb /kənˈfɛdəˌreɪt/
  1. to form into or become part of a confederacy
Etymology: 14th Century: from Late Latin confoederātus, from confoederāre to unite by a league, from Latin com- together + foedus treaty
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Confederate /kənˈfɛdərɪt; -ˈfɛdrɪt/ adj
  1. of, supporting, or relating to the Confederate States of America
 n
  1. a supporter of the Confederate States of America
'confederate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bushwhacker - Confederacy - Confederate States of America - Davis - Fort Sumter - Gettysburg - Huguenot - Jackson - Lee - Manassas - Richmond - ally - Andersonville - Army of the Potomac - associate - band - Beauregard - benjamin - Black Code - Bragg - Breckinridge - Buckner - butternut - Chancellorsville - Chickamauga - complicacy - complice - confed. - Confederate jasmine - Confederate Memorial Day - Confederate War - confederation - confederative - confide - Cs - CSA - dixie - early - Ewell - feodary - Forrest - Fort Donelson - Fort Henry - Fort Moultrie - Fredericksburg - gray - grayback - half-Confederate - Hampton - hill

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