A confederation is a group of states, organizations, or people that join together in a loose union for common purposes while keeping most of their independence. It is often used in political or historical contexts.
From Late Latin 'confoederātiō', from 'confoederāre' ('to unite by a league or treaty'), combining 'com-' and 'foedus' ('treaty, pact'). It moved into English through French and legal Latin.
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