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

After riots in 2023, insurers paid $888 million on 16,400 claims, according to France Assureurs, the insurers’ federation. — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Spain's soccer federation postponed all 24 Copa del Rey games scheduled on Wednesday. — Joseph Wilson, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026

This level of online abuse is prevalent in global sports, and federations, governments, and, of course, the people on the receiving end of this hate are scrambling to find meaningful solutions. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 28 Oct. 2026

The French federation of American football has reported growth in recent years, but its number of clubs is in the hundreds. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

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