confederate

comparative more confederate · superlative most confederate · alternative obsolete confœderate

1. Of, relating to, or united in a confederacy
2. Banded together; allied.

   All the swords / In Italy, and her confederate arms, / Could not have made this peace.

   c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]

   1 more example

   Hour after hour, remote from the world's throng, Work, contest, fame, all life's confederate pleas

   (Can we date this quote?), Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Youth's Antiphony, lines 11-12

3. archaicobsoleteConfederated.

   Remember as thou read'ſt, thy promiſe paſt : I do repent me, reade not my name there, My heart is not confederate with my hand.

   1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 43, column 1

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   And it was told the house of Dauid, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim: and his heart was moued, and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are mooued with the wind.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 7:2

plural confederates · alternative obsolete confœderate

1. A member of a confederacy.

   Synonyms: ally

2. An accomplice in a plot.

   He found some of his confederates in gaol.

   1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC

   2 more examples

   By'th'vvay, vve met my vvife, her ſiſter, and a rabble more Of vilde confederates : […]

   c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 98, column 2

   These are replete with references to [...] slaves who typically absconded in well-organized groups, often with a light-skinned confederate who posed as their owner until they reached freedom.

   2008, Harriet A. Washington, “Southern Discomfort”, in Medical Apartheid, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, page 59

   Synonyms: conspirator

   1. human sciencesAn actor who participates in a psychological experiment pretending to be a subject but in actuality working for the researcher.

      So how do you win the imitation game? “Just be yourself,” a past confederate advises Christian. But what does it mean to “be yourself”?

      2011 March 18, David Leavitt, “I Took the Turing Test”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

      Synonyms: conspirator, stooge

present singular third person confederates · participle present confederating · participle past confederated · past confederated · alternative obsolete confœderate

1. ambitransitiveTo unite persons or states in a league, confederacy or conspiracy; to ally, league.

   With them the gods were confederated to break barbarian arrogance.

   1924, Herbert Weir Smyth, “III. The Persians”, in Aeschylean Tragedy, page 89

   1 more example

   All persons who conspire confederate and agree to murder any person whether a subject of Her Majesty or not and whether within the Queen's dominions or not, […] shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than ten years.

   1958, Parliament of Victoria, “Part I, Division 1, section 4”, in Crimes Act 1958, archived from the original on 23 May 2023, page 806

1. historicalnot comparableOf or relating to the Confederate States of America.First known use 19th c.

   Yes. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s Attorney General and the unfortunate result of Dobby the house elf’s one-night stand with the Confederate flag, got in trouble this-, (enjoy!) got in trouble this week for undisclosed meetings with Russia’s ambassadors, something which, in itself, is not against the law.

   2017 March 5, Tim Carvell, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Jeff Maurer, Ben Silva, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Seena Vali, Julie Weiner, “Dalai Lama”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 4, episode 4, John Oliver (actor), Warner Bros. Television, via HBO

   Synonyms: rebel, southern, southron · Antonyms: Unionist

2. historicalnot comparableOf or relating to the political movement in favour of Confederation between Newfoundland and Canada.
3. historicalnot comparableOf or relating to Confederate Ireland or the Irish Confederate Wars.

plural Confederates

1. historicalA citizen of the Confederate States of America.First known use 19th c.

   In fact, I heard everything in the world except that the Confederates lost the war. When I was ten years old, it was a violent shock to learn that General Lee had been defeated.

   2012 March 12 [1936], Margaret Mitchell, quotee, “Interview with Margaret Mitchell from 1936”, in PBS American Masters

   Synonyms: rebel, Johnny Reb, southron, Southerner · Antonyms: Unionist

2. historicalA supporter of Confederation between Newfoundland and Canada.
3. historicalA supporter of Irish Catholic self-rule during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.