[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

federal \fed"eral\, a. l. foedus league, treaty, compact; akin
   to fides faith: cf. f. f'ed'eral. see faith.
   1. pertaining to a league or treaty; derived from an
      agreement or covenant between parties, especially between
      nations; constituted by a compact between parties, usually
      governments or their representatives.
      1913 webster

            the romans compelled them, contrary to all federal
            right, . . . to part with sardinia.   --grew.
      1913 webster

   2. specifically:
      a composed of states or districts which retain only a
          subordinate and limited sovereignty, as the union of
          the united states, or the sonderbund of switzerland.
      b consisting or pertaining to such a government; as, the
          federal constitution; a federal officer.
      c friendly or devoted to such a government; as, the
          federal party. see federalist.
          1913 webster

   federal congress. see under congress.
      1913 webster
see also:
faith federalist federal congress congress 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

federal \fed"eral\, n.
   see federalist.
   1913 webster
see also:
federalist 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

federal
     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 civil war; "union
        soldiers"; "federal forces"; "a federal infantryman" syn:
         union
     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
        confederatons" ant: unitary
     n 1: a member of the union army during the american civil war
          syn: federal soldier, union soldier
     2: any federal law-enforcement officer syn: fed, federal
        official
see also:
union unitary federal soldier union soldier fed federal official 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

65 moby thesaurus words for "federal":
   bow street runner, fbi, fbi agent, g-man, secret service,
   sherlock holmes, t-man, agent, amanuensis, baggage agent,
   business agent, claim agent, clerk, commercial agent,
   commission agent, consignee, customer agent, detective, dupe,
   factor, fed, federal agent, freight agent, functionary,
   general agent, hotel detective, house detective, house dick,
   implement, inquiry agent, instrument, insurance agent,
   investigator, land agent, law agent, literary agent, loan agent,
   narc, news agent, official, operative, parliamentary agent,
   passenger agent, plainclothesman, police detective, press agent,
   private detective, private investigator, puppet, purchasing agent,
   real estate agent, revenuer, sales agent, secretary, sleuth,
   special agent, station agent, steward, store detective,
   theatrical agent, ticket agent, tool, travel agent, treasury agent,
   walking delegate

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

96 moby thesaurus words for "federal":
   g-man, mp, absolute, aristocratic, associative, authoritarian,
   autocratic, autonomous, bailiff, beadle, beagle, blending,
   bound bailiff, bureaucratic, captain, catchpole, chief of police,
   civic, civil, combinative, combinatory, combining, commissioner,
   constable, constitutional, corporational, democratic, deputy,
   deputy sheriff, despotic, detective, dictatorial, fascist, fed,
   federalist, federalistic, federative, flic, fusing, gendarme,
   government man, governmental, gubernatorial, heteronomous,
   incorporating, incorporative, inspector, lictor, lieutenant,
   mace-bearer, marshal, matriarchal, matriarchic, merging, monarchal,
   monarchial, monarchic, monocratic, mounted policeman, narc,
   officer, official, oligarchal, oligarchic, parliamentarian,
   parliamentary, patriarchal, patriarchic, patrolman, peace officer,
   pluralistic, police captain, police commissioner, police constable,
   police inspector, police matron, police officer, police sergeant,
   policeman, policewoman, political, portreeve, reeve, republican,
   roundsman, self-governing, sergeant, sergeant at arms, sheriff,
   superintendent, theocratic, tipstaff, tipstaves, totalitarian,
   trooper, uniting

[6] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

federal, government. this term is commonly used to express a league or 
compact between two or more states. 
     2. in the united states the central government of the union is federal. 
the constitution was adopted "to form a more perfect union" among the 
states, for the purpose of self-protection and for the promotion of their 
mutual happiness. 

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Federal Reserve >> F Words
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Federal Reserve >> F Words
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Federal Informa >> F Words
Federal Informa, definition of term: Federal Informa
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Federal Agent >> F Words
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Federal Court >> F Words
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Federal Governm >> F Words
Federal Governm, definition of term: Federal Governm
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