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
of, relating to, or noting such a central government.
federal offices.
(initial capital letter)
of or relating to the Federalists or to the Federalist party.
supporting the principles of the Federalist party.
(in the Civil War) pertaining to or supporting the Union government.
relating to or adhering to the support of the Constitution.
(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.
of or relating to a compact or a league, especially a league between nations or states.
an advocate of federation or federalism.
(initial capital letter)
a Federalist.
an adherent of the Union government during the Civil War; Unionist.
a soldier in the Federal army.
of or relating to a form of government or a country in which power is divided between one central and several regional governments
of or relating to a treaty between provinces, states, etc, that establishes a political unit in which power is so divided
of or relating to the central government of a federation
of or relating to any union or association of parties or groups that retain some autonomy
(of a university) comprised of relatively independent colleges
First recorded in 16205–30; earlier foederal, from Latin foeder- (stem of foedus ) “formal agreement, treaty, league” + -al 1
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If institutions or researchers fail to report the risk of catastrophic harm from an experiment, the government can impose financial penalties or prevent future federal funding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The former securities regulator and federal prosecutor succeeds Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month, and inherits an 18-agency intelligence community shaken by leadership turnover and staff cuts.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Other changes include an increased budget of $85 billion for ICE, making it the single most funded federal law enforcement agency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“An early Roth conversion strategy could be a compelling way to move assets into tax-free growth while incurring little or no federal income tax.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Did it ever occur to her that my uncle is a federal Indian law attorney and that we’ve had plenty of conversations about #LandBack?
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
"What you worry about is the repeated shocks are building a muscle memory of what it means to raise prices, and that's the exact thing the Federal Reserve is tasked to avert," she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary directive ordering inspections on more than 450 US 737 MAX jets over potential faulty installation of passenger seats.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Still, many on Capitol Hill saw him as a less contentious choice than Pulte, who also heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Everyone will hang on the words of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, a man who has made a public point of saying as little as possible.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Federal law provides that a child-support enforcement officer can garnish up to 65 percent of an individual’s wages for child support.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
