federal
/ˈfɛd(ə)r(ə)l
/adjective
1Having or relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs: a federal Europe...
- Within a federal system of government, there is now a national Bill of Rights.
- Do you mean, what about regional devolution like that which might occur under a federal European government?
- That said, the funds are unlikely to approach the level of transfers found in traditional federal systems.
2Relating to or denoting the central government as distinguished from the separate units constituting a federation: the health ministry has sole federal responsibility for health care...
- He had been a distinguished federal judge on the second most powerful court in the nation.
- The fact that a matter might or might not give rise to a claim under federal jurisdiction does not constitute it as a claim.
- Nor did their training and effort constitute federal service, and thereby qualify them for future benefit.
Synonyms
confederate, federated, federative;
combined, allied, united, amalgamated, integrated, linked, associated, cooperating, in alliance, in league, in partnership, banded together
2.1 (Federal) US historical Of the Northern states in the Civil War.The battle came as the Northern Federal government led by Abraham Lincoln was on the verge of defeat.
Derivatives
federalization
- I suspect we're going to look at some sort of a grant program to help local governments, but I don't believe we'll see - I hope we don't see - a one-size-fits-all federalization of the election process.
- The trend toward federalization of crime (and criminalization of everything) has prominent critics.
- I am also willing to accept that the change may not be due to federalization.
federalize
/ (also federalise) verb ...- It federalizes chemical security by forcing more than 13,000 plants to file plans with the Department of Homeland Security, identifying terrorist vulnerabilities.
- When you look at countries that take security seriously, they have federalized the process or put in it hand of law enforcement.
- It has to be federalized because you can't have a piecemeal system.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from Latin foedus, foeder- 'league, covenant' + -al.