Antifederalist

American  

[an-tee-fed-er-uh-list, -fed-ruh-, an-tahy-] / ˌæn tiˈfɛd ər ə lɪst, -ˈfɛd rə-, ˌæn taɪ- /

noun

1. U.S. History. a member or supporter of the Antifederal party.

2. (lowercase) an opponent of federalism.

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Antifederalist British  

/ -ˈfɛdrə-, ˌæntɪˈfɛdərəlɪst /

noun

1. history a person who opposed the ratification of the Constitution in 1789 and thereafter allied with Thomas Jefferson's Antifederal Party, which opposed extension of the powers of the federal Government

2. (often not capital) any person who opposes federalism

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Other Word Forms

• Antifederalism noun

Etymology

Origin of Antifederalist

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90; anti- + federalist

Compare meaning

How does antifederalist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• federalism vs. Antifederalist