- having a system of government in which the individual states of a country have control over their own affairs, but are controlled by a central government for national decisions, etc.
- a federal republic
- (within a federal system, for example the US and Canada) connected with national government rather than the local government of an individual state
- a federal law
- state and federal income taxes
Extra ExamplesTopics Politicsb2- New federal regulations have been introduced.
- On 15th February a federal judge ruled in their favour.
- There is a plan to introduce random drug testing of federal workers.
- We will continue federal funding for the arts.
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin foedus, foeder- ‘league, covenant’ + -al.
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See federal in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee federal in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishCheck pronunciation:
federal