federal

federal
\ \ [17] The modern political use of federal and its various derivatives is a comparatively recent development, ushered in by the formation of the USA in the late 18th century. Its original meaning was ‘of a league or treaty’ (it was formed from Latin foedusleague, treaty’, which came from the same ultimate Indo-European base – *bhidh-, *bhoidh- – as faith), and its application to a ‘joining together of states into a single unit’ seems to have arisen from such phrases as federal union, which would originally have meant ‘union by treaty’.
\ \ Cf.CONFIDE, DEFY, FAITH, PERFIDY

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • fédéral — fédéral, ale, aux [ federal, o ] adj. • 1783; du lat. fœdus, eris « alliance » 1 ♦ Qui concerne une fédération d États. ⇒ fédératif. Système, régime fédéral. ⇒ fédéralisme. Lien, pacte fédéral entre plusieurs États. Organisation, constitution… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • federal — fed·er·al adj [Latin foeder foedus compact, league] 1: of or constituting a form of government in which power is distributed between a central authority and a number of constituent territorial units (as states) a federal government 2: of or… …   Law dictionary

  • Federal — or foederal (archaic) may refer to:In politics: *Central gernment, the common level of government of a federation *Federal constitutional monarchy, a federation of monarchies or a federal organised monarchy *Federal district, a subdivision under… …   Wikipedia

  • federal — FEDERÁL, Ă, federali, e, adj. Care aparţine unei federaţii (de state), privitor la o federaţie (de state); care se prezintă sub forma unei federaţii; federativ. – Din fr. fédéral. Trimis de LauraGellner, 17.05.2004. Sursa: DEX 98  FEDERÁL adj.… …   Dicționar Român

  • federal — UK US /ˈfedərəl/ adjective GOVERNMENT ► relating to a central government, not a state or local government: »The state contributes 30% and the federal government 70% of the cost of the plan. »She was charged in federal court with possessing… …   Financial and business terms

  • Federal — Fed er*al, a. [L. foedus league, treaty, compact; akin to fides faith: cf. F. f[ e]d[ e]ral. see {Faith}.] 1. Pertaining to a league or treaty; derived from an agreement or covenant between parties, especially between nations; constituted by a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • federal — adjetivo 1. De la federación: gobierno federal. Las leyes federales prohíben el monopolio. estado* federal / autonómico. Sinónimo: federativo. adjetivo,sustantivo masculino y femenino 1. Que es partidario del federalismo: Las divisiones entre los …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • federal — 1640s, as a theological term, from Fr. fédéral, from L. foedus (gen. foederis) covenant, league, treaty, alliance, related to fides faith (see FAITH (Cf. faith)). Meaning pertaining to a treaty (1650s) led to political sense of state formed by… …   Etymology dictionary

  • federal — adj. 2 g. 1. Que tem por base o federalismo. 2. Da federação ou a ela relativo. 3.  [Brasil, Informal] Que é muito grande, intenso ou fora do comum (ex.: a brincadeira gerou uma confusão federal). = COLOSSAL, DESCOMUNAL, ENORME, GIGANTESCO • s. m …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • federal — (Del lat. foedus, ĕris, pacto, alianza). adj. federalista. Apl. a pers., u. t. c. s.) ☛ V. estado federal …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • federal — ► ADJECTIVE 1) referring to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs. 2) referring to the central government as distinguished from the separate units constituting a federation. 3)… …   English terms dictionary

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