A confederacy is a union of people, groups, or states that join together for a shared aim — often politics, war, or trade — while each member still keeps much of its own power. The group is a team of partners, not one new country swallowing the rest. In careful talk it sits very close to confederation; the two are twins from the same Latin parent.

A confederacy is a union of people, groups, or states that join together for a shared aim Confederacy是一群人、團體或州為了共同目標而組成的聯盟 — often politics, war, or trade通常是政治、戰爭或貿易上的目標 — while each member still keeps much of its own power但每個成員仍然保有很大一部分自己的權力. The group is a team of partners這個團體是一群夥伴組成的隊伍, not one new country swallowing the rest不是一個新國家把其他國家吞併掉. In careful talk it sits very close to confederation在比較講究的用法裡，它跟confederation非常接近; the two are twins from the same Latin parent兩個字是同一個拉丁字根生出來的雙胞胎.

In everyday English confederacy feels a little old, literary, or historical. In the United States, the Confederacy almost always means the southern states that broke away in the 1860s Civil War, so Americans hear pain and argument in the word, not a dry textbook label.

In everyday English confederacy feels a little old, literary, or historical在日常英文裡，confederacy給人的感覺有點老派、文學性或帶著歷史感. In the United States, the Confederacy almost always means the southern states that broke away in the 1860s Civil War在美國，the Confederacy幾乎都是指1860年代南北戰爭時脫離聯邦的南方各州, so Americans hear pain and argument in the word, not a dry textbook label所以美國人聽到這個字會聯想到痛苦和爭議，而不是課本上一個乾巴巴的名詞.

People also stretch it in a teasing way: a confederacy of dunces is just a bunch of fools acting together. Though actually, news writers often pick confederation for a living political union and leave confederacy for history, or for an alliance that sounds a bit secret or shaky.

People also stretch it in a teasing way大家也會用它開玩笑: a confederacy of dunces is just a bunch of fools acting together a confederacy of dunces就是一群笨蛋聚在一起做事. Though actually不過, news writers often pick confederation for a living political union新聞記者講一個現存的政治聯盟時常會選confederation, and leave confederacy for history把confederacy留給歷史, or for an alliance that sounds a bit secret or shaky或用來指一個聽起來有點秘密、不太穩固的聯盟.