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• federation
  federation

  noun

  the act of federating or uniting in a league.
• Federation
  Federation

  noun

  the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901

federation

American  

[fed-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌfɛd əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of federating or uniting in a league.

2. the formation of a political unity, with a central government, by a number of separate states, each of which retains control of its own internal affairs.

3. a league or confederacy.

4. a federated body formed by a number of nations, states, societies, unions, etc., each retaining control of its own internal affairs.

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federation ¹ British  

/ ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of federating

2. the union of several provinces, states, etc, to form a federal union

3. a political unit formed in such a way

4. any league, alliance, or confederacy

5. a union of several parties, groups, etc

6. any association or union for common action

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Federation ² British  

/ ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901

2. a style of domestic architecture of that period, characterized by red brick, terracotta roof tiles, sinuous curves, and heavy window frames

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Other Word Forms

• interfederation
  noun
• profederation
  adjective
• refederation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of federation

1715–25; < Late Latin foederātiōn- (stem of foederātiō ) a leaguing. See federate, -ion

Explanation

A federation is an organization made up of smaller groups, parties, or states. The United States is a federation; the states all fall under the same federal government. The word federation may be most familiar as part of the name of an organization — for example, the International Tennis Federation, the American Advertising Federation, or the National Wild Turkey Federation. If you follow World Cup soccer, you may be interested to learn that the acronym FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Although the groups within a federation are united around a common goal or ideology, they usually like to keep some control at the local level as well.

Example Sentences

Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and chief executive of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, said that the Jewish community continued to mourn Kessler’s loss and welcomed “the admission of guilt for this heinous crime.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

As the regional coordinator for the International Transport Workers’ Federation, Arrachedi is one of the few people to whom sailors stranded since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz can turn for help.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

The American Federation of Teachers on Wednesday published a letter asking the U.S.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Malik has numerous union endorsements, including the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and Unite Here Local 11, which represents hotel and airport workers.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The red star on the album’s cover was the symbol of the Solar Federation, the oppressive interstellar society in the story.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• association
• league
• union