confederate

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Science Technical

n. a person in a psychology study who pretends to be a participant but actually works for the researcher.

n. an actor or assistant who participates in a psychological experiment while pretending to be a subject, used to manipulate the social environment.

“In the famous study, the confederate gave the wrong answer to see if the real student would agree.”

“The validity of the social pressure experiment relied on the confederate maintaining a perfectly neutral expression while delivering the scripted lines.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun American English

n. a person who lived in or fought for the Southern states during the American Civil War.

n. a citizen, soldier, or supporter of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War (1861–1865).

“The museum displayed a uniform worn by a young confederate during the war.”

“Historians continue to debate the motivations of the average confederate, balancing regional loyalty against the defense of the institution of slavery.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

adj. joined together in a group or alliance for a common goal.

adj. united in a league, alliance, or confederacy; banded together for a mutual purpose.

“The confederate tribes met once a year to discuss trade and defense.”

“The confederate states struggled to maintain a unified foreign policy while preserving their individual local laws.”

C2 · Proficiency Formal

v. to join together with other people or states to form a group.

v. to unite persons, groups, or states in a league or confederacy.

“The small kingdoms decided to confederate to protect themselves from the empire.”

“The colonies eventually chose to confederate, though the process of drafting a shared constitution took several years of negotiation.”