Antifederalist
Americannoun
-
U.S. History. a member or supporter of the Antifederal party.
-
(lowercase) an opponent of federalism.
noun
-
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
-
(often not capital) any person who opposes federalism
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:
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.
The Antifederalist opponents of the Constitution made precisely these points, but they were outmaneuvered, outargued, and ultimately outvoted by a dedicated band of national advocates in nine of the state ratifying conventions.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The old Antifederalist coalition that Madison had opposed so effectively at the Virginia ratifying convention in 1788 believed with some justification that their cause had never really been defeated, merely outmaneuvered.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The term conveyed the political fear, so potent among the Antifederalist critics of the constitutional settlement of 1788, that the states would be absorbed by the new federal government.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
After this account of a fact, the leaders of your party will scarcely have the hardiness to apply to me the term of Antifederalist.
From The Writings Of Thomas Paine, Volume III. 1791-1804 by Paine, Thomas
After this the Antifederalist forces were confused and easily routed.
From The Critical Period of American History by Fiske, John
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.
