fed·er·a·tion

[fed-uh-rey-shuhn]
noun
1.
the act of federating or uniting in a league.
2.
the formation of a political unity, with a central government, by a number of separate states, each of which retains control of its own internal affairs.
3.
a league or confederacy.
4.
a federated body formed by a number of nations, states, societies, unions, etc., each retaining control of its own internal affairs.

Origin:
1715–25; < Late Latin foederātiōn- (stem of foederātiō) a leaguing. See federate, -ion

in·ter·fed·er·a·tion, noun
pro·fed·er·a·tion, adjective
re·fed·er·a·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To federation
00:10
Federation is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Collins
World English Dictionary
federation (ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the act of federating
2.  the union of several provinces, states, etc, to form a federal union
3.  a political unit formed in such a way
4.  any league, alliance, or confederacy
5.  a union of several parties, groups, etc
6.  any association or union for common action

Federation (ˌfɛdəˈreɪʃən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the Federation the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901
2.  a style of domestic architecture of that period, characterized by red brick, terracotta roof tiles, sinuous curves, and heavy window frames

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

federation
Federation is first attested 1721, from L.L. foederationem, from L. foederare "league together," from foedus "covenant, league" (gen. foederis); see federal.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
He also joined with neighboring emirates to form a loose federation.
The federation's ambition is to make a real difference for consumers.
Libraries within those regions have formed a federation.
His ultimate political ideal included nothing short of the welfare and the commercial federation of the world.
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