confederation
/kənˌfedəˈreɪʃən/noun
1- an organization which consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league同盟; 联盟; 联邦：
a confederation of trade unions.
工会联合会。
1.1
- a more or less permanent union of states with some or most political power vested in a central authority邦联。
1.2
- mass noun the action of confederating or the state of being confederated结盟（或联合）的行动; 结盟（或联合）的状态：
a referendum on confederation.
就结盟问题的全民公决。
词源
late Middle English: from Old French confederacion or late Latin confederatio（n-）， from Latin confoederare, from con- 'together'+foederare 'join in league with' （from foedus 'league， treaty'）.