1. 1. The act of forming into or becoming part of a confederacy.
   2. The state of being confederated.
2. A group of confederates, especially of states or nations, united for a common purpose; a league.
3. Confederation
   1. The union of the British North American colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada, brought about July 1, 1867, under the name Dominion of Canada.
   2. The federal union of all the Canadian provinces and territories, the most recent member being Newfoundland in 1949.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.