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
  • These developments support the modernization of renewable energy systems and help drive national carbon-reduction goals.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • From union leader to president Lula rose to national prominence as the leader of a metalworkers' union that organized strikes that helped bring down Brazil's dictatorship in the 1980s.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 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
  • Citrus Fruits Citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit, have a low glycemic index (GI).
    — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 23 Oct. 2026
  • New disclosures from Johnson & Johnson and peer developers on cyclization and amino acid substitution techniques used to extend peptide stability in the GI tract.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of GI
Adjective
  • The bump in costs comes as family caregivers take on more care and more complicated medical responsibilities at home, says Megan O'Reilly, vice president of governmental affairs at AARP.
    — Kat McGowan, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In an acceptance speech on Sunday, Lula promised governmental funds for healthcare, books and culture.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Oct. 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
  • 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
  • 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
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 collision derailed two carriages on the tail of the Iryo train and the front of the Renfe train.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The collision derailed two carriages on the tail of the IRYO train and the front of the RENFE train.
    — Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2026.

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