federal law

American  

[fed-er-uhl law] / ˈfɛd ər əl ˈlɔ /

noun

1. a law or body of laws passed by the central government of the United States or of any other country comprising states, provinces, or other quasi-autonomous units.

   This act to protect migratory birds is a federal law enforcing an international agreement to which the United States is a party.

   She is an expert on federal law.

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Example Sentences

After the Civil War, Congress dissolved the reservations and land was allotted to the individuals who lived there as federal law weakened or abolished tribal governments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

However, a 1945 federal law, the McCarran-Ferguson Act, delegates authority to regulate the insurance industry primarily to individual states.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Thus far, Kalshi is pushing ahead, noting that it’s subject to a different set of commodity-based regulations under federal law.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Others say history and the text are clear in demonstrating that Mississippi doesn’t violate federal law.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

So, in keeping with local, state, and federal law, my apartment building’s security system immediately opened both of my security doors to grant them entrance.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline