FEDERAL Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

federal 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of federal

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.

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

Federal

2 of 2

noun

as in fed

Related Words

as in Confederate

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

civilian

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

But a new federal political action committee gives him a way to start building beyond Pennsylvania. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026 One of the original cases, a federal lawsuit involving basketball player Brock Wisne, is leaning in the NCAA's direction, though victories there have only spawned more lawsuits in state court. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 He's pleaded not guilty to one federal count of killing a witness or victim and one count of causing the death of an unborn child. — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The order did not cover every category of marijuana but represented a significant shift in the federal treatment of medical marijuana. — Carolyn Schenck, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for federal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for federal

Adjective

But the talent for going viral that helped Ramaswamy gain a national profile has proved less successful this election cycle in Ohio.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Because of its proportional representation system – voters cast one vote for a national party-list – even the largest parties rarely win more than 35 seats, and Israel has always had coalition governments.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of national

Noun

But eating too much fiber too quickly can cause gastrointestinal (GI) distress or cramps.

— Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2026
Boston Children's was also top-ranked in the area of neonatology, pediatric gastroenterology & GI Surgery, pediatric nephrology, pediatric neurology & neurosurgery, pediatric pulmonology & lung surgery and pediatric urology.

— Neal Riley, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of GI

Noun

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
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

Definition of narc

Noun

Unifi and 10 other North and Central American yarn producers launched YarnProof, an initiative using FibreTrace technology to embed an invisible, permanent tracer into polyester filament yarn during extrusion.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
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

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

Tuck drumstick ends under band of skin across the tail if present or tie drumsticks securely to tail using 100%- cotton kitchen string.

— Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2026
My barometer will always be whether the AI is the tail that’s wagging the dog.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of tail

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fed

federal

Federal

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Style

“Federal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/federal. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of federal

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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