A huge federal budget deficit has been plaguing the American economy for many years.
Source: tatoeba (19393)
Federal
/ˈfɛdəɹəl/
Synonyms for "federal" (204 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (41)
Noun(7 words)
absoluteagentamanuensisaristocraticassociativeauthoritarianautocraticautonomousbaggage agentbailiffbeadlebeagleblendingbound bailiffbow street runnerbureaucraticbusiness agentcaptaincatchpolechief of police
Show 13 more words
civiccivilclaim agentclerkcombinativecombinatorycombiningcommercial agentcommission agentcommissionerconsigneeconstableconstitutional
Adjective(1 words)
central authority
Strong matches (61)
corporationalcustomer agentdemocraticdeputydeputy sheriffdespoticdetectivedictatorialdupefactorfascistfbifbi agentfedfederal agentfederalistfederalisticfederativeflicfreight agent
Show 25 more words
functionaryfusingg mang-mangendarmegeneral agentgovernment mangovernmentalgubernatorialheteronomoushotel detectivehouse detectivehouse dickimplementincorporatingincorporativeinquiry agentinspectorinstrumentinsurance agentinvestigatorland agentlaw agentlictorlieutenant
Noun(10 words)
Adjective(6 words)
federal judiciary appointmentsfederal legislature billfederal statutesgovernment projectsgovernment workforcegovernmental policy
Related words (102)
literary agentloan agentmace-bearermarshalmatriarchalmatriarchicmergingmonarchalmonarchialmonarchicmonarchicalmonocraticmounted policemanmpnarcnews agentofficerofficialoligarchaloligarchic
Show 62 more words
operativeparliamentarianparliamentaryparliamentary agentpassenger agentpatriarchalpatriarchicpatrolmanpeace officerplainclothesmanpluralisticpolice captainpolice commissionerpolice constablepolice detectivepolice inspectorpolice matronpolice officerpolice sergeantpolicemanpolicewomanpoliticalportreevepress agentprivate detectiveprivate investigatorpuppetpurchasing agentreal estate agentreeverepublicanrevenuerroundsmansales agentsecret servicesecretaryself-governingsergeantsergeant at armssheriffsherlock holmessleuthspecial agentstatestation agentstewardstore detectivesuperintendentt mant-mantheatrical agenttheocraticticket agenttipstafftipstavestooltotalitariantravel agenttreasury agenttrooperunitingwalking delegate
Determiner(1 words)
most federal policy
Noun(10 words)
nationalnational authoritiesnational government agencynational government reformnational nature reservenationwide government modifiernorwegian nasjonalunion soldierwashingtonwashingtonian
Adjective(9 words)
national attributenational authoritynational government policynational hospitalnational museumnational policynational-government policypolitical compactunion
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: fed, absolute, achaean, agent, amanuensis.
- Sentence evidence is available for federal, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "federal".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "federal"
Keep "federal" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "federal" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "federal", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "federal" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesNorthernerYankYankeeagentfederal agentgovernmentgovernment programgovernmentalpoliticalpublic policy
More specific
8 entriesfederal agenciesfederal agencyfederal courtfederal courtsfederal grantfederal lawfederal loanfederal subsidy
Collocations
9 entriesfederal budgetfederal courtfederal fundsfederal governmentfederal lawfederal policyfederal programfederal reservefederal system
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
7 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
15 total sentences available.
Please send this by Federal Express.
Source: tatoeba (54987)
Americans pay both federal taxes and state taxes.
Source: tatoeba (67463)
The Federal Reserve slashed interest rates.
Source: tatoeba (320230)
Showing 4 of 15 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "federal"?
Closest matches include fed, absolute, achaean, agent, amanuensis.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "federal"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.