federation

noun

fed·​er·​a·​tion ˌfe-də-ˈrā-shən 

1

: an encompassing political or societal entity formed by uniting smaller or more localized entities: such as

a

: a federal government

b

: a union of organizations

2

: the act of creating or becoming a federation

especially : the forming of a federal union

Synonyms of federation

• union
• confederacy
• coalition
• alliance
• league
• confederation

Examples of federation in a Sentence

a federation of labor unions

a federation of women's clubs

the federation of the states

Recent Examples on the Web

New federation president Rafael Louzan is also a backer of the current format and venue, with the money raised significantly contributing towards the organisation’s finances. —Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

The federation had offered a $10,000 reward for the shooter’s capture, in addition to launching a GoFundMe to support the victim’s family. —Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026

Iervolino, who is the president of MIFE, said the federation’s mission is to enable Italian audiovisual content to compete in a structured, continuous, and organized manner on global markets. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025

Separately on Thursday, the French fashion federation announced the arrival of Mercedes-Benz as the exclusive mobility partner of its fashion and couture weeks for 2026. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for federation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

federation

noun

fed·​er·​a·​tion ˌfed-ə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: a political body formed by uniting smaller bodies

especially : a federal government

2

: the act of creating or becoming a federation