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.
A confederation is like a group project where everyone insists, 'We’re working together—but don’t tell me what to do.' It’s weaker than a single united country, which is why many historical confederations eventually shifted to stronger unions or broke apart.
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