federal case

American

noun

a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of a federal court or a federal law-enforcement agency.

idioms

make a federal case (out) of, to exaggerate the importance of or make an issue out of (something trivial).

Etymology

Origin of federal case

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

See Examples For:

federal case

The expected plea potentially resolves the federal case just a month before Mangione is scheduled to go to trial in state court on murder and other charges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Luigi Mangione who is accused of killing a health insurance boss in Manhattan may plead guilty to stalking charges in his federal case, The New York Times reported Thursday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

They didn’t do that because they wanted to have the trappings and the veneer of making it look as if it were a real federal case.

From Slate ● Jun. 9, 2026

Mangione is also charged in a separate federal case, in which he has also pleaded not guilty.

From BBC ● May 18, 2026

They would have made a federal case out of it, getting upset, calling the cops .

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023