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

The Argentine federation announced on Wednesday that its team will have its World Cup base camp in Kansas City. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026

Those protests were largely coordinated by politicians, not athletes or their federations. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026

And they are captivated by a vision of an imperial federation, with a parliament in London, where Britain would be an important partner, but just one, and where Canada and the other dominions would have representation. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026

The federation now counts seven athletes, two of whom who will compete in Jean’s kit at the Olympics. —Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 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