federal

federal — adjective

1. used to describe the nationwide ruling body in a country formed by a union of st

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to describe the nationwide ruling body in a country formed by a union of states — for instance, the central administration based in Washington that runs the whole United States, rather than any single state's own government.

Example

A federal judge in New York ruled the new policy was unconstitutional.

federal judge — a judge in the national court system

The federal government sent emergency aid to communities hit by the flood.

Common collocations
  • federal government
  • federal law
  • federal agency
  • federal court
  • federal tax
Synonyms
  • national

    broader term — 'national' can describe any country-wide matter; 'federal' only applies to federations

  • central

    focuses on the top level of government without implying a federal structure

Antonyms
  • state

    refers to the regional level of government within a federation

  • local

    refers to city or county government, the most local level

Grammar Patterns

federal + noun

Usage Note

Often capitalized when referring specifically to the US central government ('Federal government'). The closest opposite in this sense is 'state' or 'local'.

Common Mistakes

The United Kingdom has a federal government.
The United Kingdom has a central government.
The UK is a unitary state, not a federation, so 'federal' does not apply.
A federal law only applies in one state.
A federal law applies across the entire country.
Federal laws cover the whole nation, not a single region.

2. describing a country or political arrangement in which a central government shar

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a country or political arrangement in which a central government shares decision-making power with the governments of individual states or provinces.

Example

Germany has a federal system where each state controls its own schools.

federal system — a country's political structure of shared power

Canada is a federal state whose provinces enjoy significant independence.

Common collocations
  • federal system
  • federal republic
  • federal state
  • federal structure
  • federal model
Synonyms
  • confederate

    describes looser unions where regions keep more power than in a federation

Antonyms
  • unitary

    describes a system where the central government holds most authority and regions have limited powers

Grammar Patterns

federal + [noun describing a political structure]

Usage Note

Commonly placed before nouns like 'system', 'republic', 'state', 'model', or 'government'. The opposite of a 'federal' arrangement is a 'unitary' one, where the central government holds most power.

Common Mistakes

In a federal system, the central government has no power over the states.
In a federal system, the central government shares power with the states.
Federal systems still give the central government authority over national matters.

federal — noun

Word family

  • federation
    nounB2
  • federalism
    nounC1
  • federalist
    nounC1
  • federally
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words — 'federal', 'national', and 'central' — can describe the top level of government, but they are not interchangeable. 'Federal' specifically applies to countries organised as federations (the US, Germany, Canada), where power is constitutionally divided between a central authority and regional states. 'National' is broader: it refers to anything that covers an entire country, regardless of its political structure — a national park, a national holiday, or a national government in any kind of state. 'Central' emphasises the top tier of administration: 'central government' can describe the main authority in both federal and unitary systems. 'State' is the opposite anchor: in a federation, state governments handle regional matters while the federal government handles national ones. Example: 'The national government declared a holiday, but federal law only applies in federally organised countries.' — 'The central bank sets interest rates for the whole country.'

federal ↗national ↗central ↗state ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • federal government
  • federal law
  • federal agency
  • federal court
  • federal system
  • federal republic
  • federal state
  • federal tax
  • federal agent

Phrases

  • federal vs. state
  • at the federal level
  • under federal law

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'federal' traces back to the Latin noun 'foedus', meaning a treaty, covenant, or alliance. It entered English through French in the early 17th century, originally describing a union based on a treaty between separate parties. By the 18th century it had come to refer to a system of government formed when separate political units agree to unite under a shared central authority while keeping control over local matters — the modern sense of a federation.