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

• alliance
• axis
• bloc
• block
• coalition
• combination
• combine
• confederacy
• confederation
• league
• union

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

The federation criticized the U.C.L.A. chancellor, Gene Block, and the school’s administration for creating an environment that has made students feel unsafe and called on him to meet with leaders of the Jewish community to discuss safety measures. —Ben Shpigel, New York Times, 1 May 2024

Still, the federation could partly disintegrate in volatile border regions such as the North Caucasus. —Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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