federal 1 of 2

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

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
Two judges have found the administration broke federal laws in its handling of the layoffs and ordered workers reinstated. Time, 29 Mar. 2025 The administration should abandon its Alien Enemy Act theory and shift to the solid ground of federal immigration laws. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 29 Mar. 2025 This stability also positioned Fisk to receive additional federal financing for a new Science Center and Student Life Center—developments that will further strengthen the institution’s long-term sustainability. Marybeth Gasman, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 The video comes just days after the Trump administration deported hundreds of immigrants accused of being tied to gangs to El Salvador, even as a federal judge ordered that the deportations be halted. Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for federal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for federal
Adjective
  • The German national team is through to the final four of the UEFA Nations League after beating Italy 5-4 on aggregate.
    Manuel Veth, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Trump's presence at the event brought a national spotlight to the sport of college wrestling and an electric energy to the building.
    Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Cameron directed Arnold Schwarzenegger in this influential action pic about a family man who also happens to be a G-man.
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
  • For more than forty years, Hoover’s G-men devoted hundreds of thousands of man hours to the threat that was Paul Robeson: debriefing informants, wiretapping phone conversations, and monitoring rallies, concerts, and plays.
    Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Zinnia Toxicity Zinnias are not toxic to pets, but any plant, if ingested in large enough quantities, can cause GI upset.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
  • After World War II, with the economic and political power of the GI Bill in hand, colleges in every state — from Lincoln’s land-grant institutions to dozens of brand-new, experimental campuses — exploded with growth.
    Kurt L. Schmoke, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • You’re automatically dubbed a narc, a kiss-ass, a too-cool.
    Brandi California, SPIN, 1 July 2024
  • 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
Noun
  • Most interplanetary life-detection experiments have involved looking for chemical tracers—biosignatures—that otherworldly microbes might create in their environments as a by-product of their metabolism.
    Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2025
  • Accelerating Circularity is looking at working with a DNA tracer to ensure that any cotton content doesn’t violate the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act, or UFLPA, in the United States, said Shelly Gottschamer, its vice president of global programs and stakeholder engagement.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
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
Noun
  • Next, use the tip of the blade to cut down one side of the spine and finish by slicing through the skin at the tail.
    Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The only violation had legs, a tail and left 16 pieces of rodent poop near the front counter, under dry storage shelves and the reach-in cooler.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The government's own investigators have repeatedly found serious problems in immigration detention centers around the country.
    Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2025
  • In a missing persons poster provided by the sheriff's office, investigators wrote that the family had rented a 2024 white BMW with California license plate number 9KHN768.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Federal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/federal. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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