federation
fed-uh-RAY-shun
/ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən/
A group of states or organizations with a central government but independence in internal affairs.
Implies a strong, permanent union where the central authority has significant power.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'foedus', meaning a 'league' or 'treaty'. It describes a union that is legally bound by a foundational agreement.
Word relationships
- union: Union is a broader term that can describe any joining of parts.
- confederacy: Confederacy implies a much looser union with more power held by individual members.
- unitary state: A unitary state is governed as a single entity with a supreme central government.
Commonly confused with
- confederacy: A federation has a strong central government; a confederacy is a loose alliance of independent states.
Word family
- federal (adjective): Relating to a system of government in which several states unite under a central authority.
- federalism (noun): The federal principle or system of government.
Collocations
- national federation
- trade federation
- form a federation
- member of a federation
Example sentences
- "The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world by land area." Politics
- "The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis." Sports
Memory hook
A federation is a 'federal' union of states bound by a treaty. United by treaty.
When not to use
Do not use for a loose association where members can easily leave or ignore the central body.
Fun facts
- The motto of the United States, 'E Pluribus Unum' (Out of many, one), perfectly describes the spirit of a federation.
Related words
Explore more words
self-governing, autonomous, govern, polycentric, sovereignty, hegemony
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.