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 threat of being charged by the federal government can lead witnesses to negotiate agreements with prosecutors to share evidence or testimony used to incriminate others in exchange for immunity or lighter punishments. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Sep. 2026 This is expected to be a hot competition, with states such as Texas, Florida, and Alabama expected to put forth attractive bids to the federal government. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 Fatal gun injuries are the leading killer of children and teenagers from age 1 through 19 in Tarrant County, according to federal data. — Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026 Even after that decree was reached, Common Cause monitors reported in 2024 missing or inadequate Spanish-language signs in the city about voter ID requirements and provisional ballots, as required by federal law, The Journal reported at the time. — Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, 11 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
  • Industry statistics show that residential electricity prices in California run 89% above the national average and have climbed nearly 9% compared to the same period last year, while fuel prices across the state continue to set new highs.
    — , CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Lafita's cart was filled with red roses and white ginger lilies, Cuba's national flower.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of national
Noun
  • Michael Biehn also plays a G-man who keeps tabs on Kammler’s work.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of G-man
Noun
  • Hall pointed to a 2023 study that looked at the digestion issues of nearly 89,000 Americans included in the National GI Survey II.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Joseph attended Harvard University on the GI bill and completed majors in math and physics in just three years.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of GI
Adjective
  • Journalists report on governmental affairs and act as watchdogs, exposing abuse and corruption.
    — Kenneth Michael White, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • For every pig that a farmer sends to slaughter, about 70 cents to $1 is collected for a semi-governmental group called the National Pork Board.
    — Kenny Torrella, Vox, 9 Sep. 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 scans revealed that the vertebrae within the tail were normal and typical of most vipers, Georgalis said.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Surprisingly, the scans revealed that the inside of the viper’s tail looked quite normal.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 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 12 Sep. 2026.

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