Etymologically
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federation

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 12:32. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˌfɛdəˈɹeɪ̯ʃən/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French fédération,[2][3][4] from Late Latin foederātio, a noun of action from foederāre (“to league together”), from foedus (“covenant, league”) (see federal),[2][4] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- (“to trust, persuade”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A union by agreement: 1721 in Etymonline, 1721–1800 in the OED;[2][5] MWU has 1787.[3]

Semantic evolution

A society or league formed for joint action, now chiefly a political union of states under a central government, is from 1791.[5] Imperial Federation was a proposed reorganization of the British Empire (1885).[5] Federationist is from 1865.[5] In Australia Federation is the union of the colonies in 1901 and a style of architecture of that period.[6]

Timeline

  • 1721 – a union by agreement.[2][5]
  • 1791 – a league or political union.[5]
  • 1865 – federationist.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A union of states or provinces under a central government, each keeping some powers of its own.
  2. A league or association of societies, clubs or unions.
  3. The act of federating.

Word family

  • Russian Federation
  • West Indies Federation
  • confederate
  • Confederation
  • federal
  • federate
  • federative
  • confederacy
  • faith

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins