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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

The update will set rules for the Sacramento River and the rest of the Delta, where pumps operated by state and federal agencies send water flowing in aqueducts to farms and cities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Rinderknecht, who remains in federal custody, denied both charges.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Since the 1960s, federal spending has grown substantially relative to the broader economy, while revenue, mostly tax receipts, has stayed about the same.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Ryan Paylor, senior portfolio manager with veteran closed-end bond specialists Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, highlights four closed-ends that invest in municipal bonds free from federal tax.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

For it purported to create a consolidated federal government with powers sufficient to coerce obedience to national laws—in effect, to discipline a truly continental union—while remaining true to the republican principles of 1776.

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

In June, for instance, 5.7% of recent college grads were unemployed, compared with 4.1% of all workers, according to data from the New York Federal Reserve.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Global government bonds stabilized on Wednesday, taking a breather from Tuesday’s steep selloff ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve’s minutes from July’s meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Minutes released on Wednesday by the Federal Reserve, which sets US interest rates, revealed that concerns over inflation deepened among policymakers at its last meeting.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

That’s due to concerns about America’s growing debt and federal budget deficit, uncertainty around how new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh plans to tame inflation and as tech companies fuel a corporate-bond issuance boom.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

They came in a pickup truck with Federal Government plates and parked close to the hibiscus bushes.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• civil
• communal
• domestic
• ethnic
• governmental
• internal
• interstate
• nationwide
• public
• social