federation

noun

fed·​er·​a·​tion ˌfe-də-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce federation (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The federation faced criticism from human rights groups, who called for a reverse of the decision, and FIFA did not explain the reasoning behind the rollback. Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 1 July 2025 Credit coach Emma Hayes for building out age classes in the federation and debuting 21 players over the last year — creating a bright future. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 June 2025 Three people in the latter category include a past president of the Broward federation, as well as two current members of the organization’s board. David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2025 The Mexican soccer federation generates about a third of its annual income in the U.S. through matchday income, TV rights and sponsorship deals driven by the large Mexican and Mexican-American fan base in the country. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for federation

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of federation was in 1652

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Federation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federation. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

federation

noun
fed·​er·​a·​tion ˌfed-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce federation (audio)
1
: a political body formed by uniting smaller bodies
especially : a federal government
2
: the act of creating or becoming a federation

More from Merriam-Webster on federation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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