* Adjective: Describing something related to a confederation, a union of states or groups.
* Example: "The Confederate army fought during the Civil War."
* Noun: A person who is part of a confederation or a union of states or groups.
* Example: "The Confederates surrendered at Appomattox."
* Verb: To unite or join forces with others.
* Example: "The rebel groups confederated to overthrow the government."
Therefore, you need to look at the context to determine which part of speech "confederate" is functioning as in a particular sentence.