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• federalist
  federalist

  noun

  an advocate of federalism.
• Federalist
  Federalist

  noun

  a supporter or member of the Federalist party

federalist

American  

[fed-er-uh-list] / ˈfɛd ər ə lɪst /

noun

1. an advocate of federalism.

2. (initial capital letter) a member or supporter of the Federalist party.

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adjective

1. Also federalistic of federalism or the Federalists.

Federalist British  

/ ˈfɛdərəlɪst /

noun

1. a supporter or member of the Federalist party

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adjective

1. characteristic of the Federalists

Other Word Forms

• hyperfederalist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of federalist

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90; federal + -ist

Explanation

A federalist is someone who believes in the type of political system in which states or territories share control with a central government. Alexander Hamilton, one of the founders of the United States, was a federalist. Canada and the U.S. both have federalist systems of government — individual states or provinces govern themselves, but they also unite with a federal government that has authority over the entire country. When it has a lower-case f, the word federalist describes someone who advocates this kind of system, while an upper-case F denotes a member of a specific political party.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

federalist Federalist

The law strikes a federalist balance by letting states ban pesticides within their borders while prohibiting them from mandating warnings beyond those required by the EPA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

She said she also voted for separation in the first referendum, in 1980, when the federalist camp won with 60 percent support.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025

In America's federalist system, however, there is another institutional check on his power and that's the states.

From Salon ● Nov. 13, 2024

And finally, the Constitution’s respect for states as separate sovereigns is a foundational principle in our federalist government, and this deeply rooted commitment supports a broad understanding of the ordinary bounds of judicial review.

From Slate ● Sep. 19, 2024

The federalist fervor, which the exiles had pictured as a powder keg about to explode, had dissolved into a vague electoral illusion.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

CNN conservative commentator Brianna Lyman, a writer for The Federalist, openly questioned what appeared to be clearly coordinated messaging.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

In March, the Federalist Society held a day-long conference in Philadelphia to celebrate the “Jurisprudence of Justice Alito.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

Can we follow Alexander Hamilton’s guidance in Federalist No. 1, for “good government” through “reflection and choice,” rather than relying on “accident and force?”

From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026

Alito, the court’s second-oldest member, felt ill during the March 20 dinner, which followed a Federalist Society symposium celebrating his 20 years on the bench.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

Burr had alienated Jefferson and the triumphant Republican party by his disloyalty as a vice president and had lost by a landslide in his bid to become a Federalist governor of New York.

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