Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Confederacy \Con*fed"er*a*cy\, n. (Amer. Hist.)
   With the, the Confederate States of America.

Confederacy \Con*fed"er*a*cy\, n.; pl. {Confederacies}. [From
   {Confederate}, a.]
   1. A league or compact between two or more persons, bodies of
      men, or states, for mutual support or common action;
      alliance.

            The friendships of the world are oft Confederacies
            in vice or leagues of pleasure.       --Addison.

            He hath heard of our confederacy.     --Shak.

            Virginia promoted a confederacy.      --Bancroft.

   2. The persons, bodies, states, or nations united by a
      league; a confederation.

            The Grecian common wealth, . . . the most heroic
            confederacy that ever existed.        --Harris.

            Virgil has a whole confederacy against him.
                                                  --Dryden.

   3. (Law) A combination of two or more persons to commit an
      unlawful act, or to do a lawful act by unlawful means. See
      {Conspiracy}.

   Syn: League; compact; alliance; association; union;
        combination; confederation.

Source : WordNet®

Confederacy
     n 1: the southern states that seceded from the United States in
          1861 [syn: {Confederate States}, {Confederate States of
          America}, {South}, {Dixie}, {Dixieland}]
     2: a union of political organizations [syn: {confederation}, {federation}]
     3: a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some
        harmful or illegal purpose [syn: {conspiracy}]
     4: a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an
        unlawful act [syn: {conspiracy}]