Plural of confederacy; unions of states, groups, or individuals joined together by a covenant or agreement for a common purpose.
From Late Latin confederatio, from con- (together) + foederatio (alliance, from foedus meaning treaty or covenant). The -cy suffix denotes a state or condition.
The Swiss Confederacy, formed in 1291, is one of history's oldest confederations still existing—the word literally means 'bound together by oaths,' which is exactly what happened when Swiss cantons swore mutual defense pacts.
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