[syn: Union, Federal]
4. characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities;
- Example: "a federal system like that of the United States"
- Example: "federal governments often evolved out of confederations"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Federal \Fed"er*al\, n.
See Federalist.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Federal \Fed"er*al\, a. [L. foedus league, treaty, compact; akin
to fides faith: cf. F. f['e]d['e]ral. see Faith.]
1. Pertaining to a league or treaty; derived from an
agreement or covenant between parties, especially between
nations; constituted by a compact between parties, usually
governments or their representatives.
[1913 Webster]
The Romans compelled them, contrary to all federal
right, . . . to part with Sardinia. --Grew.
[1913 Webster]
2. Specifically:
(a) Composed of states or districts which retain only a
subordinate and limited sovereignty, as the Union of
the United States, or the Sonderbund of Switzerland.
(b) Consisting or pertaining to such a government; as, the
Federal Constitution; a Federal officer.
(c) Friendly or devoted to such a government; as, the
Federal party. see Federalist.
[1913 Webster]
Federal Congress. See under Congress.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
federal
adj 1: national; especially in reference to the government of
the United States as distinct from that of its member
units; "the Federal Bureau of Investigation"; "federal
courts"; "the federal highway program"; "federal
property"
2: of or relating to the central government of a federation; "a
federal district is one set aside as the seat of the national
government"
3: being of or having to do with the northern United States and
those loyal to the Union during the American Civil War;
"Union soldiers"; "Federal forces"; "a Federal infantryman"
[syn: Union, Federal]
4: characterized by or constituting a form of government in
which power is divided between one central and several
regional authorities; "a federal system like that of the
United States"; "federal governments often evolved out of
confederations" [ant: unitary]
n 1: a member of the Union Army during the American Civil War
[syn: Federal, Federal soldier, Union soldier]
2: any federal law-enforcement officer [syn: Federal, Fed,
federal official]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
65 Moby Thesaurus words for "Federal":
Bow Street runner, FBI, FBI agent, G-man, Secret Service,
Sherlock Holmes, T-man, agent, amanuensis, baggage agent,
business agent, claim agent, clerk, commercial agent,
commission agent, consignee, customer agent, detective, dupe,
factor, fed, federal agent, freight agent, functionary,
general agent, hotel detective, house detective, house dick,
implement, inquiry agent, instrument, insurance agent,
investigator, land agent, law agent, literary agent, loan agent,
narc, news agent, official, operative, parliamentary agent,
passenger agent, plainclothesman, police detective, press agent,
private detective, private investigator, puppet, purchasing agent,
real estate agent, revenuer, sales agent, secretary, sleuth,
special agent, station agent, steward, store detective,
theatrical agent, ticket agent, tool, travel agent, treasury agent,
walking delegate
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
96 Moby Thesaurus words for "federal":
G-man, MP, absolute, aristocratic, associative, authoritarian,
autocratic, autonomous, bailiff, beadle, beagle, blending,
bound bailiff, bureaucratic, captain, catchpole, chief of police,
civic, civil, combinative, combinatory, combining, commissioner,
constable, constitutional, corporational, democratic, deputy,
deputy sheriff, despotic, detective, dictatorial, fascist, fed,
federalist, federalistic, federative, flic, fusing, gendarme,
government man, governmental, gubernatorial, heteronomous,
incorporating, incorporative, inspector, lictor, lieutenant,
mace-bearer, marshal, matriarchal, matriarchic, merging, monarchal,
monarchial, monarchic, monocratic, mounted policeman, narc,
officer, official, oligarchal, oligarchic, parliamentarian,
parliamentary, patriarchal, patriarchic, patrolman, peace officer,
pluralistic, police captain, police commissioner, police constable,
police inspector, police matron, police officer, police sergeant,
policeman, policewoman, political, portreeve, reeve, republican,
roundsman, self-governing, sergeant, sergeant at arms, sheriff,
superintendent, theocratic, tipstaff, tipstaves, totalitarian,
trooper, uniting
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
FEDERAL, government. This term is commonly used to express a league or
compact between two or more states.
2. In the United States the central government of the Union is federal.
The constitution was adopted "to form a more perfect union" among the
states, for the purpose of self-protection and for the promotion of their
mutual happiness.