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.

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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

In the mid-2000s, two federal regulations went into effect that required automakers to lower vehicles’ sulfur output – which also reduces octane. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 Still, that also makes federal approval more complicated because many vehicle rules were written for cars with human drivers. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Attorneys Abigail Becker and Victor Van Dyke, with the Federal Public Defender’s Office, convinced the jury Yener was entrapped by federal agents. — Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026 At Stanford, Warsh brushed shoulders with the likes of Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman and four-time federal cabinet member George Shultz. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for federal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for federal

Adjective

But Canada has plans to launch hundreds of new satellites to safeguard its national sovereignty, reducing reliance on Washington, and the European Union is developing its own network of 290 satellites.

— Amy Gunia, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
But for all Regragui’s success, replacement Mohammed Ouahbi is even more closely aligned to the national team DNA, having been in charge of the victorious under-20s side prior to stepping up.

— Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of national

Noun

Now the G-men head down there to collar Massachusetts cops — sheriffs and crooked state troopers.

— Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2025
Exactly what will happen to DC’s most polarizing building after the G-men move out is still not clear, although President Trump has suggested the FBI will eventually return.

— Andy Rose, CNN Money, 19 July 2025

Definition of G-man

Adjective

In reaction, some governmental bodies renamed March 31 as Farmworkers Day or replaced it with a celebratory day for his co-activist Dolores Huerta on April 10.

— Rachel Royster July 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026
The one-time fading mural was saved from destruction after a nine-year battle by local residents, civic leaders, businesses and governmental agencies, who celebrated its restoration in 2023.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 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

Noun

The life-size robotic elephants in Prasanth Prakashan's backyard workshop have ears that flap, tails that swish and trunks that squirt water.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Some common options for hanging pots include succulents like burro's tail or string of pearls, trailing lantana, and trailing verbena.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026

Definition of tail

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“Federal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/federal. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of federal

adjective

noun

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