Federal - Definition

adj 1: national; especially in reference to the government of
the United States as distinct from that of its member
units; "the Federal Bureau of Investigation"; "federal
courts"; "the federal highway program"; "federal
property"
2: of or relating to the central government of a federation; "a
federal district is one set aside as the seat of the national
government"
3: being of or having to do with the northern United States and
those loyal to the Union during the American Civil War;
"Union soldiers"; "Federal forces"; "a Federal infantryman"
[syn: Union, Federal]
4: characterized by or constituting a form of government in
which power is divided between one central and several
regional authorities; "a federal system like that of the
United States"; "federal governments often evolved out of
confederations" [ant: unitary]
n 1: a member of the Union Army during the American Civil War
[syn: Federal, Federal soldier, Union soldier]
2: any federal law-enforcement officer [syn: Federal, Fed,
federal official]