federal
federal — adjective
1. used to describe the nationwide ruling body in a country formed by a union of st
used to describe the nationwide ruling body in a country formed by a union of states — for instance, the central administration based in Washington that runs the whole United States, rather than any single state's own government.
A federal judge in New York ruled the new policy was unconstitutional.
federal judge — a judge in the national court system
The federal government sent emergency aid to communities hit by the flood.
Chidi files a federal tax return every year before the April deadline.
Ilan appealed the state court's ruling to a federal circuit court in San Francisco.
Esteban's company must follow safety rules set by a federal agency.
文法句型
federal + noun
用法筆記
Often capitalized when referring specifically to the US central government ('Federal government'). The closest opposite in this sense is 'state' or 'local'.
常見錯誤
2. describing a country or political arrangement in which a central government shar
describing a country or political arrangement in which a central government shares decision-making power with the governments of individual states or provinces.
Germany has a federal system where each state controls its own schools.
federal system — a country's political structure of shared power
Canada is a federal state whose provinces enjoy significant independence.
In Brazil's federal system, each state runs its own schools while the federal government sets national curriculum standards.
Switzerland's federal model gives each canton the power to set local taxes.
Nikhil compared federal and unitary governments for his political science class.
- confederate
describes looser unions where regions keep more power than in a federation
- unitary
describes a system where the central government holds most authority and regions have limited powers
文法句型
federal + [noun describing a political structure]
用法筆記
Commonly placed before nouns like 'system', 'republic', 'state', 'model', or 'government'. The opposite of a 'federal' arrangement is a 'unitary' one, where the central government holds most power.
常見錯誤
federal — noun
1. an officer or agent who works for a national law enforcement agency in the Unite
an officer or agent who works for a national law enforcement agency in the United States, such as the FBI or the DEA.
The federals raided the warehouse and seized all the documents.
the federals (plural, informal) — FBI or other federal agents
Yuna was stopped by a federal at the airport for a random bag check.
Asher heard that the federals were investigating the company's finances.
Christopher told his family that a federal had contacted him about the fraud case.
文法句型
the federals (plural)
a federal (singular)
用法筆記
Informal usage common in journalism, crime dramas, and everyday speech. The short form 'fed' is even more casual and very frequent in spoken American English. In formal writing, use 'federal agent' or specify the agency (e.g. 'FBI agent'). Distinguish from the historical noun sense (sense 2, CIVIL WAR SUPPORTER) which is always capitalized and limited to Civil War contexts.
常見錯誤
2. a person who supported the national government of the United States against the
a person who supported the national government of the United States against the Confederate states during the American Civil War (1861–1865).
The Federals held control of the main railway junctions throughout the war.
Federals (capitalized) — historical term for Union supporters
As a committed Federal, Senator Stevens refused to negotiate with Confederate leaders.
Historical records show that most Federals came from the Northern states.
Federal soldiers guarded the capital against Confederate attacks.
- Unionist
broader term for anyone who supported the Union during the Civil War
- Northerner
describes geographic origin rather than political allegiance
- Confederate
a person who supported the breakaway Southern states
- Rebel
informal historical term for a Confederate supporter
文法句型
the Federals (plural)
用法筆記
Always capitalized. This meaning is limited to the context of the US Civil War (1861–1865) and is now mostly found in historical writing. Not to be confused with the more common, informal noun sense referring to a federal law enforcement agent (sense 1).