federal 1 of 2

as in national
of or relating to a federation or to its central government A federal system of government distributes power between a country's central and regional governments. The President, Congress, and the Supreme Court are all part of the federal government of the United States.

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Federal

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of Federal
Noun
An initial deal did grant the tribe that, but the federal government pressured the tribe to sign several new agreements, according to the exhibit, the last of which forced them to move west. Chris Quintana, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025 Other federal agencies, including IRS and Social Security, are moving in that direction. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Fencing was seen going around the federal courthouse in Chicago, in anticipation of the enforcement actions occurring, according to city officials. Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2025 But a Kemp spokesperson, who was not named, said in a statement issued to local media that the state will always enforce the law, including federal immigration law. Debbie Elliott, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Federal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Federal
Adjective
  • Former Biden National Security Council official Tarun Chhabra now leads its national security policy, while former White House economic aide Elizabeth Kelly serves as head of beneficial deployments.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Goalkeeping coach Ian Willcock, who has been with United since their inception in 2018, left for the Canada national team, reuniting with former United manager Casey Stoney.
    Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • What was perhaps most catastrophic to some was governmental agencies’ failure to adequately and equitably help citizens recover and rebuild.
    Essence, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
  • According to this test – which developed from a 1971 Supreme Court decision – governmental actions must have a secular legislative purpose, and their main effect may neither advance nor inhibit religion.
    Lydia Artz, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Now the G-men head down there to collar Massachusetts cops — sheriffs and crooked state troopers.
    Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Exactly what will happen to DC’s most polarizing building after the G-men move out is still not clear, although President Trump has suggested the FBI will eventually return.
    Andy Rose, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
Noun
  • One of the guild’s achievements, this year, has been to define a Geographical Indication (GI); a major milestone in legally protecting English whisky production and preventing misuse of the term.
    Kevin Rozario, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The good news is that these findings could lead to new treatment strategies for stomach and GI cancers.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • You’re automatically dubbed a narc, a kiss-ass, a too-cool.
    Brandi California, SPIN, 1 July 2024
  • The software, which would effectively act like a narc embedded on people’s iPhones, could have unintended consequences, critics said, despite Apple’s assurances that it would be used solely to stop child predators.
    Declan Harty, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2021
Noun
  • Using experiments with dry versus wet air, the team conducted special tracer diffusion studies to track the movement of oxygen atoms.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Additionally, the physical tracer in Recover fibers means the final garment can be verified using a scanner.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Less than a month later, plainclothesmen arrested Nassar at a local tire store, and Munford took him into custody.
    Jason Schmidt, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2018
  • Hustling bucks and ducking the Third Division boys, those earnest young plainclothesmen assigned to the vice squad who work out of the 17th Precinct on the East Side.
    Gail Sheehy, Daily Intelligencer, 9 Sep. 2017
Noun
  • Among the advertisers in NFL games last year that did not run commercials during the previous season were PayPal, VRBO and Scopely, according to data from iSpot, a tracker of viewership and ad spending.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Use a fitness tracker or pedometer to track your progress and stay motivated.
    Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Federal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Federal. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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