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• federal
  federal

  adjective

  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
• Federal
  Federal

federal

American  

[fed-er-uhl] / ˈfɛd ər əl /

adjective

1. 

   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

2. of, relating to, or noting such a central government.

   federal offices.

3. (initial capital letter)

   1. of or relating to the Federalists or to the Federalist party.

   2. supporting the principles of the Federalist party.

   3. (in the Civil War) pertaining to or supporting the Union government.

   4. relating to or adhering to the support of the Constitution.

4. (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.

5. of or relating to a compact or a league, especially a league between nations or states.

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noun

1. an advocate of federation or federalism.

2. (initial capital letter)

   1. a Federalist.

   2. an adherent of the Union government during the Civil War; Unionist.

   3. a soldier in the Federal army.

Federal ¹ British  

/ ˈfɛdərəl /

adjective

1. 1. of or relating to the Federalist party or Federalism

   2. characteristic of or supporting the Union government during the American Civil War

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noun

1. 1. a supporter of the Union government during the American Civil War

   2. a Federalist

federal ² British  

/ ˈfɛdərəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a form of government or a country in which power is divided between one central and several regional governments

2. of or relating to a treaty between provinces, states, etc, that establishes a political unit in which power is so divided

3. of or relating to the central government of a federation

4. of or relating to any union or association of parties or groups that retain some autonomy

5. (of a university) comprised of relatively independent colleges

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noun

1. a supporter of federal union or federation

Other Word Forms

• federalness
  noun
• nonfederal
  adjective
• quasi-federal
  adjective
• federally
  adverb
• quasi-federally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of federal

First recorded in 16205–30; earlier foederal, from Latin foeder- (stem of foedus ) “formal agreement, treaty, league” + -al ¹

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

federal Federal

Bill Essayli, the lead federal prosecutor in Los Angeles whose office has previously sent Logan’s office a series of grand jury subpoenas for individual voter records as part of a criminal investigation into illegal voting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

At one point, federal funds futures showed that traders saw the chances of a rate increase later this month rising to around 50% from around 20% before the report, according to CME Group data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Data centres are built through very local rules and permits, meaning federal lawmakers like US senators have little say in the process.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Higher yields result, pushing up borrowing costs for families, businesses and the federal government.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

In effect, the political institutions and the very authority of the federal government were too new and ill-formed to cope effectively with the foreign and domestic challenges facing the new nation.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Consumer prices rose 3.7% from a year earlier in September, after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in September, its first hike in three years.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

The report raises two questions for Federal Reserve officials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

In a Daily Journal op-ed, Rachelle Chong, a former Federal Communications Commission member, similarly argues that the definition refers to internet access bought from a provider like AT&T or Comcast.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Weakness in banks and chip stocks raises the stakes for tech earnings as hotter inflation revives concerns about Federal Reserve rate hikes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Treasury and the Federal Reserve, as a “crisis in confidence.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

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