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
Inside, Scharf argued that the Height of Buildings Act, a law that requires most buildings in the capital to stay under a hundred and thirty feet, shouldn’t apply to federal projects. — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Most banks and financial institutions also close for the federal holiday. — Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Prosecutors say Castro briefly struggled with Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, then fired through a front door into an occupied home, hitting him in the leg, contradicting earlier federal accounts. — Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 By operating as non-profit, tax-exempt entities, these schools avoid paying federal income taxes. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 Sep. 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
  • The national flags of China and New Zealand flutter at Tian'anmen Square on June 19, 2025 in Beijing, China.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Asking this team to go out and win a national title might be a bridge too far, but Florida was a darkhorse Playoff contender this time a year ago.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of national
Noun
  • No one was giving the G-men an iota of a chance, but thanks to a brilliant game by New York's front four, the Patriots were clinging to just a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2026
  • Jessica Hecht, playing one of the hostages, adds her typically off-beat depth, and I was most amused by John Ortiz as the FBI agent with the standard G-man voice and personality to match.
    — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of G-man
Noun
  • Their real status in the Army has to be kept under wraps, for what captain, major, or colonel would take orders from GI Joe?
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Gut Health Arugula is a prebiotic that feeds good bacteria in the GI tract, says Slayton.
    — Embry Roberts, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of GI
Adjective
  • Are there other parties that might have helpful data, including private companies or other governmental entities?
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In April 2024, she was arrested and booked on charges of indecent exposure, soliciting prostitution and obstructing governmental operations.
    — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of governmental
Noun
  • But the very act of putting on a wearable—of willingly adorning oneself with a tiny computerized narc—is an act of surrender.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The team's 33-15 loss gave it a 2-11 record, which is the worst nark in the NFC.
    — Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Definition of narc
Noun
  • This imaging test uses a tracer that attaches to PSMA proteins, allowing doctors to identify where prostate cancer cells may be located throughout the body.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 June 2026
  • Many health care workers served longer, harder deployments than mine — Sierra Leonean nurses, Guinean contact tracers, Liberian community health workers — and carried equal or greater burdens, yet Americans rarely heard their stories.
    — Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 20 May 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
  • The workers would be fined if their tails were dirty, their satin ears crooked.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Robinhood — Shares of the trading app jumped 15% after Deutsche Bank issued a report pointing to prediction market tail winds for brokers, asset managers and exchanges.
    — Darla Mercado, CFP®,Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 3 Sep. 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 6 Sep. 2026.

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