Meaning & use
federation
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Meanings
nouncountable
A union of states or organizations that keep some independence under a central authority.
Grammar: Use 'a federation' for one such union, or 'federations' for more than one.
Patterns
- a federation of something
- join a federation
- form a federation
The country is a federation of ten states, each with its own government.
The sports clubs formed a federation to organize national competitions.
Canada is a federation, so powers are shared between the federal government and the provinces.
noununcountableformal
The act or process of joining separate groups into a single organization.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or a plural when talking about the process.
Patterns
- the federation of something
The federation of the two companies took several years to complete.
Federation of the colonies was a major political goal in the 19th century.
Word forms
| plural | federations |
|---|
Common combinations
- a federation of states
- The new constitution created a federation of states with a weak central government.
- join a federation
- The small nation decided to join the regional federation for economic reasons.
- federal government
- In a federation, the federal government handles defense and foreign policy.
- member of a federation
- Each republic is a member of the federation and sends representatives to the capital.
Synonyms and how they differ
- confederation
- A looser union where member states keep more power; a federation usually has a stronger central authority.
- union
- A general word for any joining together; 'federation' is more specific about shared government.
- alliance
- Often temporary and based on mutual support; a federation is a more permanent political structure.
Opposites
Word family
- federal adjective
- Relating to a federation or its central government.
- federate verb
- To join together in a federation.
- federalism noun
- The principle or system of federal government.
- federalist noun
- A supporter of federalism.
Commonly confused: federation or confederation? federation or foundation?
federation vs confederation
A confederation gives more power to its member states; a federation gives more to the central government.
federation vs foundation
A foundation is an organization that funds projects; a federation is a union of groups.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'federation' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Federation' means the act of joining groups or the resulting union, so 'the federation of the two clubs' is correct. The other options use it as a dress, a tool, or a fruit, which are wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “federation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.