federation
noun
the act of federating or uniting in a league.
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federation
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Federation
Federationnounthe federation of the Australian colonies in 1901
federation
American
[fed-uh-rey-shuhn]
/ ˌfɛd əˈreɪ ʃən /
noun
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federations
plural
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the act of federating or uniting in a league.
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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.
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a league or confederacy.
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a federated body formed by a number of nations, states, societies, unions, etc., each retaining control of its own internal affairs.
federation
1
British
/ ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /
noun
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the act of federating
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the union of several provinces, states, etc, to form a federal union
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a political unit formed in such a way
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any league, alliance, or confederacy
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a union of several parties, groups, etc
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any association or union for common action
Federation
2
British
/ ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /
noun
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the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901
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a style of domestic architecture of that period, characterized by red brick, terracotta roof tiles, sinuous curves, and heavy window frames
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing federation
Working Together: The Language of Unions
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Olympics Vocabulary for Champions
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Russia - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The federation thanked all those who have signed in support.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The federation said it had "greatly benefited" from Fifa's programmes, citing investment in development and infrastructure.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The French soccer federation first contacted him in early 2025, knowing that Deschamps would leave his post after this summer’s World Cup in North America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"It's a David-versus-Goliath scenario... at some point, we'll find a weak spot and strike there," said federation spokesman Eric Brocardi.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Today, the Federal Republic of Germany is a thriving democracy with a federation of sixteen states.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said preparations were underway to bring aid to some 2,000 people in temporary shelters.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Philippe Besset, president of France's Federation of Pharmaceutical Trade Unions, said demand had been far greater than expected.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Nationwide about 52 million students are eligible for the scholarships, or more than 90% of the K-12 population, according to a recent study from Patrick Graff of the American Federation for Children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The Mexican Football Federation has broken ranks with its regional governing body Concacaf to come out in support of under-fire Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Meanwhile, talks continued between Bobby’s lawyers, Paul Marshall and Andrew Davis, and the Icelandic Chess Federation concerning the matter of the gate receipts.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
It pointed to his decade of work promoting football worldwide, and particularly his support for African federations and those with fewer resources.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Around the world, federations have begun the process of retracting their letters of support for him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The national federations of Serbia, Sweden and Wales on Monday withdrew their support for Infantino and England’s FA is expected to do the same.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Infantino has set a deadline of 19 September for football federations to accept his controversial plans.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Eventually, internecine warfare erupted between the United States and Soviet Chess federations and FIDE.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
