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

Those costs can be a burden, as salaries for women in soccer have historically not been high, though some teams and federations may offer some form of sponsorship for those seeking licenses. —Doha Madani, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026

The Belgian soccer federation declined to comment Tuesday. —Graham Dunbar, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026

The Embassy posted a statement attributed to Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj saying Iran wants to move its group stage matches to Mexico to ensure the safety of players and officials. —ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026

Past Instagram posts from the federation group show the UF College Republicans as an affiliated chapter. —Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 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