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

Konigsberg cautioned that neither FIFA’s contractual arrangements with national federations nor Spain’s agreements with its players are fully transparent. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Klaveness is a lawyer and judge who has positioned the Norwegian federation as a conscience in world soccer since her election in 2022. — ABC News, 23 July 2026

At the global stage, the latest survey from the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, found that in its 30 international federations, women now occupy 32% of executive positions, which is a significant rise from 18% in 2018. — Allison Smith, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

He was eventually removed from the federation along with then-head coach Jorge Vilda. — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 21 July 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