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• federal
  federal

  adjective

  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
• Federal
  Federal

federal

American  

[fed-er-uhl] / ˈfɛd ər əl /

adjective

1. 

   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

2. of, relating to, or noting such a central government.

   federal offices.

3. (initial capital letter)

   1. of or relating to the Federalists or to the Federalist party.

   2. supporting the principles of the Federalist party.

   3. (in the Civil War) pertaining to or supporting the Union government.

   4. relating to or adhering to the support of the Constitution.

4. (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.

5. of or relating to a compact or a league, especially a league between nations or states.

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noun

1. an advocate of federation or federalism.

2. (initial capital letter)

   1. a Federalist.

   2. an adherent of the Union government during the Civil War; Unionist.

   3. a soldier in the Federal army.

Federal ¹ British  

/ ˈfɛdərəl /

adjective

1. 1. of or relating to the Federalist party or Federalism

   2. characteristic of or supporting the Union government during the American Civil War

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noun

1. 1. a supporter of the Union government during the American Civil War

   2. a Federalist

federal ² British  

/ ˈfɛdərəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a form of government or a country in which power is divided between one central and several regional governments

2. of or relating to a treaty between provinces, states, etc, that establishes a political unit in which power is so divided

3. of or relating to the central government of a federation

4. of or relating to any union or association of parties or groups that retain some autonomy

5. (of a university) comprised of relatively independent colleges

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noun

1. a supporter of federal union or federation

Other Word Forms

• federalness
  noun
• nonfederal
  adjective
• quasi-federal
  adjective
• federally
  adverb
• quasi-federally
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of federal

First recorded in 16205–30; earlier foederal, from Latin foeder- (stem of foedus ) “formal agreement, treaty, league” + -al ¹

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Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

federal Federal

State lawmakers, including Newsom, have pushed for the site to be designated a “Superfund” priority site in the hopes that it would bring in additional federal funding to accelerate cleanup efforts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

In 2009 the California solar-panel maker received a $535 million federal loan guarantee and went bankrupt two years later.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Amirah Siquierah, the director of federal affairs at the Working Families Party, said successful candidates in 2028 will combine economic populism with newer concerns such as data centres.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

And federal government purchasing power should be fully leveraged through domestic procurement.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

“I need you two to stay up here. Coordinate with the locals. LeVisqueux is wanted in fourteen states. His capture remains a federal matter.”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar gained after the jobs data on increased expectations of more Federal Reserve rate hikes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

On Tuesday, the Journal reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was investigating the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based autism-therapy company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

It also comes at a time when wealth inequality is widening, according to Federal Reserve data.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

The federal government had been powerless to stop the banking industry from digging itself into a nearly inextricable hole; FDR remade the Federal Reserve System into a forceful overseer of banking practices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

When I came upon the open windows of the Federal Gazette office, it was a shock.

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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