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• federation
  federation

  noun

  the act of federating or uniting in a league.
• Federation
  Federation

  noun

  the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901

federation

American  

[fed-uh-ray-shuhn] / ˌfɛd əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

• federations
  plural

1. the act of federating or uniting in a league.

2. 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.

3. a league or confederacy.

4. a federated body formed by a number of nations, states, societies, unions, etc., each retaining control of its own internal affairs.

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federation ¹ British  

/ ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of federating

2. the union of several provinces, states, etc, to form a federal union

3. a political unit formed in such a way

4. any league, alliance, or confederacy

5. a union of several parties, groups, etc

6. any association or union for common action

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Federation ² British  

/ ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901

2. a style of domestic architecture of that period, characterized by red brick, terracotta roof tiles, sinuous curves, and heavy window frames

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interfederation
  noun
• refederation
  noun
• profederation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• federations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of federation

1715–25; < Late Latin foederātiōn- (stem of foederātiō ) a leaguing. See federate, -ion

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

federation Federation federations

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

In France, the number of pet dogs grew from about 1.3 million in 2020 to about 9.6 million in 2026, according to annual reports from Facco, the French federation of pet-food manufacturers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Her organization launched in 2024 as a federation of local tenant unions across the country.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Soccer’s much ballyhooed “golden generation,” it was a performance that hardly shone and a sign that whatever progress the federation has made over the past two decades hasn’t gone as far as hoped.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Charging Dr. Euwe as the responsible agent, the federation warned him that it would consider the match “wrecked” if Fischer did not appear in Reykjavik by noon on July 4, Euwe’s deadline.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor is also waging an independent campaign supporting the mayor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

While Mentor's decision was a deeply personal one, the issue is becoming increasingly visible in elite sport, with both Chelsea and the Spanish Football Federation recently announcing support for players wanting to freeze their eggs.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Patrick Graff of the American Federation for Children says this could add $75 billion to the $188 billion he estimates could be donated nationally at $1,700 if everyone gave their full credit-eligible amount.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

"The next international window in November is fast approaching," Burkinabe Football Federation official Ibrahim Dianda warned on Facebook.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

Chess Federation rating calculated after the event was astronomically high—2375—confirming his status as a master and ranking him number twenty-five in the nation.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Meanwhile, Infantino has spent recent days reposting new letters on his Instagram from federations doubling down on their support for him, including Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait, the U.A.E.,

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

"Infantino threatened to slash members' earnings if they did not back him," the paper reports, "but federations in Asia and Americas are also opposed to sell-off".

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Infantino has set a deadline of 19 September for football federations to accept his controversial plans.

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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Related Words

• association
• league
• union

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