federal

fed-er-al · adjective

imported

Definitions

adjective

  1. 1.

    Relating to a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

  2. 2.

    Relating to or denoting the central government as opposed to state or local governments.

  3. 3.

    (Historical) Supporting the Union in the American Civil War.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    federal government — The national government.
  • •
    federal law — Law enacted by the national government.
  • •
    Federal Reserve — The central banking system of the United States.
  • •
    federal court — A court in the national judiciary system.

Related words

Antonyms: local, provincial, state
See also: constitutional, government, national, state
Synonyms: central, governmental, national

Etymology

From Latin foedus (genitive foederis) ("league, treaty, covenant"), related to fides ("faith, trust").