federal 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of federalnext
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

1
as in fed

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2
as in Confederate

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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
Adjective
The federal investigators were at the scene Thursday night, the sheriff said. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026 After a jury sided with consumers in a 2024 trial, the federal judge overseeing the case granted the NFL’s bid to throw out the verdict. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2026 In the line of outrages, what about your colleague Ilhan Omar, who recently had her home searched by federal officers ahead of her reëlection? — David Remnick, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026 Over the years, Musk's companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, have received more than $30 billion in federal contracts, subsidies, loans and tax credits. — Frank Langfitt, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for federal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for federal
  1. national
  2. G-man
  3. GI
  4. governmental
  5. narc
  6. tracer
  7. plainclothesman
  8. tail
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Qatar's national gas company said one of its vessels was struck in the Persian Gulf, and Israeli strikes on Gaza killed eight people, including a young boy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Support for Question 3 recognizes that Maryland cannot ignore a national effort to consolidate Republican power and hope the consequences pass us by.
    — Dylan Behler, Baltimore Sun, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of national
Noun
  • Reach uses a crab trap to disarm a G-man brandishing an On the Waterfront–style hook.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Michael Biehn also plays a G-man who keeps tabs on Kammler’s work.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of G-man
Noun
  • In that case, the robot is injected via a vitamin sized capsule and traverses the GI tract (including the small intestine) via a magnetic field.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Citrus Fruits Citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit, have a low glycemic index (GI).
    — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of GI
Adjective
  • Investigating justified suspicion about noncitizen voting is a legitimate governmental responsibility.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Their two paths to power — which led them on vastly different journeys through different countries, organizations and governmental roles — left them on a collision course to lead Los Angeles.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of governmental
Noun
  • On Uncle, fish narc sheds his past experimental impulses and finds a new identity within ebullient, feel-good college rock.
    — Jeff Yerger, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
  • He gets dinged for a pesky OWI, loses his job at CBS, and then gets outed by some nark in Oklahoma.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of narc
Noun
  • With funding from the Alzheimer’s Association, the project adopted a new tracer that, in combination with a PET scan, could measure amyloid burdens.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Companies processed heavy mineral sands from Australia, Brazil, and India, and hard rock from South Africa, to produce rare earths for tracer ammunition, steel alloys, cigarette-lighter flints, and, later, color-TV phosphors.
    — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of tracer
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
Definition of plainclothesman
Noun
  • Known for their white feathers, black wing and tail tips and bright blue skin around their eyes, Bali mynas are native to a small region of the Indonesian island of Bali.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The elevator controls the up and down pitch of the aircraft and is located in the aircraft’s tail, Chapman said.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of tail

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Cite this Entry

“Federal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/federal. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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