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federal

UK/ˈfɛdəɹəl/US/ˈfɛdəɹəl/
adjectiveB2Very common — you will meet it every day · #1,364 of 15,258leans written

Federal means belonging to the central government of a union of states. Federal law, a federal agency, federal elections.

The whole point of a federal system is that the centre and the states each hold powers the other cannot simply take, and disputes between them go to a court. About forty per cent of the world's people live under one. The Latin foedus means a treaty.

Definitions of federal

  1. 1adjectivefederalBelonging to the central government of a union of states.B2

    “Crimes that cross state borders are often investigated by federal agents.”

federal is a form of government.

Where it comes from

  1. French

    fédéral

  2. English, today

    federal

Borrowed from French fédéral.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

federal in the wild

  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency.

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • After Mexico became independent, the territory surrounding the city was organized in 1824 as the country's new and only federal district (Spanish: Distrito Federal or DF).

    Mexico City

  • Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with Bern serving as the federal city and the seat of the national government.

    Switzerland

  • Constitution in 1789 called for the creation of a federal district under exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S.

    Washington, D.C.

  • As the seat of the U.S. federal government, the city is an important world political capital.

    Washington, D.C.

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

  • federalism