1. relating to or characteristic of a confederation; involving a union of states or groups that retain some independence
Usage: political science

Examples

• The confederal system allowed each state to maintain significant autonomy.
• Switzerland operates under a confederal structure of government.
• The confederal arrangement gave member nations control over their domestic policies.
• Many political scientists debate the effectiveness of confederal versus federal systems.
• The confederal model requires careful balance between unity and independence.
• Historical confederal governments often struggled with coordination between member states.