confederal
|con-fe-der-al|
🇺🇸
/kənˈfɛdərəl/
🇬🇧
/kənˈfɛd(ə)rəl/
of a confederation
Etymology
'confederal' originates from French 'confédéral', ultimately from Latin 'confoederatus', where 'con-' meant 'together' and Latin 'foedus' meant 'treaty, league'.
'confederal' changed from French 'confédéral' (and is related to English 'confederate', from Latin 'confoederatus') and entered modern English usage as the adjective 'confederal' in the 18th–19th century to describe systems based on treaties between states.
Initially it meant 'joined by treaty' (i.e., bound together by an agreement); over time it has come to be used specifically to describe political systems or organizations characterized by a loose union in which member entities keep substantial autonomy.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to a confederation: a union or alliance of states, groups, or organizations in which the member units retain substantial independence and sovereignty.
They formed a confederal government that left most powers with the member states.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/12 07:40