federalist

noun

fed·​er·​al·​ist ˈfe-d(ə-)rə-list 

1

: an advocate of federalism: such as

a

often Federalist : an advocate of a federal union between the American colonies after the Revolution and of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution

b

often Federalist : world federalist

2

Federalist : a member of a major political party in the early years of the U.S. favoring a strong centralized national government

federalist adjective

often Federalist

Examples of federalist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Federalists were for this grand gesture, but their opponents, Jeffersonian republicans (later called Democrat-Republicans), were against such monarchical trappings. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 27 July 2026

This tension goes back to the very beginning, to the ratification of the Constitution, when Federalists and anti-Federalists debated whether there was enough glue to hold this new political entity together. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026

Plus John Adams was a Federalist so that’s something. — Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026

Built in 1853 and later expanded, the main five-bedroom Federalist-style home includes crown molding, wood floors, a sunroom, an eat-in country kitchen, and formal dining rooms. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing federalist

• anti-federalist
• world federalist

Kids Definition

federalist

noun

fed·​er·​al·​ist ˈfed-(ə-)rə-ləst 

1

: a supporter of federal government

especially, often capitalized : a supporter of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution

2

capitalized : a member of a major political party in the early years of the U.S. favoring a strong central national government

federalism

-ˌliz-əm

noun often capitalized

federalist adjective often capitalized