federalese

American  

[fed-er-uh-leez, -lees] / ˌfɛd ər əˈliz, -ˈlis /

noun

(often initial capital letter)

1. awkward, evasive, or pretentious prose said to characterize the publications and correspondence of U.S. federal bureaus.

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Usage

What does federalese mean? Federalese is a slang term for the confusing, evasive, or awkward language said to be used in communications by federal government agencies in the United States.In the U.S., the federal government is the government on the national level, as opposed to state or local government. Federalese is often capitalized as if it were an official language. It is always used negatively, especially to complain about or make fun of such language.Example: With all the Federalese on these tax forms, it’s amazing anyone can fill them out correctly.

Etymology

Origin of federalese

First recorded in 1940–45; federal + -ese

Example Sentences

The fuzzy vagueness of FCC announcements, usually tricked out in federalese, has long irritated members of the Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.

From Time Magazine Archive

Like many FCC decisions, it proved an enigma wrapped in federalese and tied with red tape.

From Time Magazine Archive

Federalese, the bureaucrat's way of making simple speech complex, has more than once curled the nostrils of Manhattan's liberal Republican Herald Tribune.

From Time Magazine Archive

These reductions, known in federalese as sequestrations, will take effect March 1.

From Time Magazine Archive