1. plural of confederacy; alliances or unions of states, groups, or people for a common purpose
2. plural of confederacy; secret agreements or conspiracies between people to do something illegal or harmful

Examples

• The ancient confederacies of Greek city-states often formed to defend against common enemies.
• Several confederacies emerged during the colonial period in North America.
• The detective uncovered multiple confederacies working to defraud the insurance company.
• Trade confederacies helped smaller nations compete with larger economic powers.
• Historical confederacies were sometimes temporary alliances that dissolved after achieving their goals.
• The prosecutor alleged that several confederacies were operating within the organization.