federation
noun
the act of federating or uniting in a league.
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federation
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Federation
Federationnounthe federation of the Australian colonies in 1901
federation
American
[fed-uh-ray-shuhn]
/ ˌfɛd əˈreɪ ʃən /
noun
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federations
plural
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the act of federating or uniting in a league.
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the formation of a political unity, with a central government, by a number of separate states, each of which retains control of its own internal affairs.
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a league or confederacy.
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a federated body formed by a number of nations, states, societies, unions, etc., each retaining control of its own internal affairs.
federation
1
British
/ ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /
noun
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the act of federating
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the union of several provinces, states, etc, to form a federal union
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a political unit formed in such a way
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any league, alliance, or confederacy
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a union of several parties, groups, etc
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any association or union for common action
Federation
2
British
/ ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /
noun
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the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901
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a style of domestic architecture of that period, characterized by red brick, terracotta roof tiles, sinuous curves, and heavy window frames
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of federation
1715–25; < Late Latin foederātiōn- (stem of foederātiō ) a leaguing. See federate, -ion
Explanation
A federation is an organization made up of smaller groups, parties, or states. The United States is a federation; the states all fall under the same federal government. The word federation may be most familiar as part of the name of an organization — for example, the International Tennis Federation, the American Advertising Federation, or the National Wild Turkey Federation. If you follow World Cup soccer, you may be interested to learn that the acronym FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Although the groups within a federation are united around a common goal or ideology, they usually like to keep some control at the local level as well.
Vocabulary lists containing federation
Working Together: The Language of Unions
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Olympics Vocabulary for Champions
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Russia - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
AAA, a non-profit federation of regional motor clubs, said late last week that prices at the pump remain at the highest they’ve ever been during this time of year.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026
The federation has announced a special tribute to honour his contribution, and that is necessary as the exit has not left fans room for a celebration they want to be part of.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
That’s what’s necessary, he said, to approach, city-wide, the 70% threshold the wildlife federation recommends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
In June, France's main employer federation, Medef, said re-opening the facility was a question of national sovereignty.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
The federation president gave Bobby a deed for more than an acre of land in Elista, his capital city.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
On Wednesday, Berrada contacted the US Soccer Federation to confirm the existence of the release clause and their intention to activate it.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Stuart Waldman, who heads the Los Angeles County Business Federation, offered a different take.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026
Kamrul Hasan, general secretary of the Ekota Garments Sramik Federation, told AFP some labour leaders had gone into hiding.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The National Retail Federation forecast retail sales will grow 4.2% from last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
The Federation is appalled by these remarks, as any civilized body would be, and sees them as signs of a deranged and devastated psyche.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
There are also what Hale calls 'trades' with other national federations or agencies like IMG, which manages players and until recently also owned the Miami and Madrid Opens.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Around the world, federations have begun the process of retracting their letters of support for him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Sign on, the federations were told, and you’ll get $20 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
"From my perspective, any avenue that brings in more resources is good because those resources would be distributed and given to federations, especially on the African continent and that would inspire growth."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Eventually, internecine warfare erupted between the United States and Soviet Chess federations and FIDE.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
