federal

adjective feh-deh-RAHL Less Common

Usage Note

Federal is invariable in gender (el gobierno federal, la ley federal) and refers to a system where constituent units share power with a central authority. In Mexico and Argentina, which have federal systems, the word appears constantly in political contexts. Do not confuse federal with estatal ('state-level') or municipal.

Examples

"El gobierno federal aprobó el nuevo presupuesto."

Natural Translation

The federal government approved the new budget.

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