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

Arizona, which will experience the biggest cuts, has previously made noises about opting for a legal route and authorities have criticized federal plans for the river. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Some of these changes were blocked by a federal judge in March. — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 The state said the drop was driven largely by the state’s own struggles putting new federal requirements in place. — Geoff Mulvihill, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The new federal guidelines are not without controversy, however. — Linda M. Boland, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for federal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for federal

Adjective

The Rattlers finished 4-4 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play in 2025, just two seasons removed from winning the Celebration Bowl and a Black college football national championship.

— John Devine, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
What started as a hangover fix in Las Vegas is now a national industry testing the edges of medicine, cosmetics and longevity science — and the next wave, built around a molecule called NAD+, is already reshaping the menu.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 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

Gut Health Arugula is a prebiotic that feeds good bacteria in the GI tract, says Slayton.

— Embry Roberts, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026
But after certain gut infections, once the most intense symptoms have resolved, GI troubles can linger, turning into chronic bowel issues and pain.

— Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of GI

Adjective

The agency was a pseudo-governmental commission with no legal authority, staffed by grossly unqualified appointees, including a teenage programmer known as Big Balls.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
The National Archives and Records Administration, or NARA, is the federal agency that preserves and provides public access to the nation’s historical and governmental records.

— Stephanie Lam, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of governmental

Noun

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
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

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

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Style

“Federal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/federal. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of federal

adjective

noun

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