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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

federations plural

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

Derived Forms

• interfederation
  noun
• refederation
  noun
• profederation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• federations
  plural

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

Liam Kelly, the chair of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland, said the report was a "clear, unmistakable and appalling indictment" of the failure of government to properly fund and support the PSNI.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

The growing population turned Loudoun County into an agritourism hub, evident today in its many farm-based breweries, vineyards and cut-flower farms, according to Kathy Dixon of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

The International Federation of Robotics counted 542,000 industrial robots installed in 2024, more than double the number a decade earlier and the fourth straight year above 500,000 units.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026

A Fourth of July cookout will cost 9.4% more than last year, with the American Farm Bureau Federation estimating it costs $73.82 to feed 10.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

Guthmundur Thorarinsson privately complained—but not to Bobby—that the Icelandic Chess Federation had lost $50,000 on the match, because there was no money from television or film rights.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• association
• league
• union