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}, {Federal}]

4: (government) 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}, {Federal soldier}, {Union soldier}]

2: any federal law-enforcement officer [syn: {Federal}, {Fed},

{federal official}]