pertaining to or of the nature of a union of states under a central government distinct from the individual governments of the separate states, as in
of, relating to, or noting such a central government.
federal offices.
(initial capital letter)
of or relating to the Federalists or to the Federalist party.
supporting the principles of the Federalist party.
(in the Civil War) pertaining to or supporting the Union government.
relating to or adhering to the support of the Constitution.
(initial capital letter) pertaining to or designating the styles of the decorative arts and architecture current in the U.S. from about 1780 to about 1830.
of or relating to a compact or a league, especially a league between nations or states.
an advocate of federation or federalism.
(initial capital letter)
a Federalist.
an adherent of the Union government during the Civil War; Unionist.
a soldier in the Federal army.
of or relating to a form of government or a country in which power is divided between one central and several regional governments
of or relating to a treaty between provinces, states, etc, that establishes a political unit in which power is so divided
of or relating to the central government of a federation
of or relating to any union or association of parties or groups that retain some autonomy
(of a university) comprised of relatively independent colleges
First recorded in 16205–30; earlier foederal, from Latin foeder- (stem of foedus ) “formal agreement, treaty, league” + -al 1
Federal refers to the national government. The voting age is determined by the federal government while the driving age is decided on a state by state basis. Before the Constitution was ratified, the United States was a loose confederation of states, with no real federal government. The Constitution created a stronger federal government but to this day, there is a conflict between those who want power to go to the states and those who support federal control. States don't seem to mind federal subsidies though.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He pointed to an informal opinion about video resumes from the federal government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2010.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
In a scathing ruling this week, the federal judge wrote that the lawsuit was improper and recommended sanctions against two Justice Department attorneys who worked on the case, though not Blanche himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
But the federal courts have no such office.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
“He’s always been a fighter against federal regulatory overreach, and it’s clear for obvious reasons that he has an affinity for oil and gas, given its dominance in Texas,” Longanecker said.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
They would have made a federal case out of it, getting upset, calling the cops .
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh gives his second day of testimony to Congress starting at 10 a.m.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Former Federal Reserve official John Rogers was sentenced to 38 months in prison for lying to investigators about sharing restricted information.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
"If we do not see signs of disinflation soon, I am prepared to act," Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook told an event in Washington.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
His arrest followed a warrant issued on Tuesday by the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, after he failed to appear at a hearing to face charges of forgery and impersonation.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
On March 14, 2008, he was invited into the presence of one of the biggest and most famous bullish investors in Wall Street banks, plus that of the illustrious former chairman of the Federal Reserve.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
