fédéral

federal

adjective feh-deh-RAL Less Common

Origin: Latin foedus/foederis (treaty, alliance)

Usage Note

fédéral follows the standard -al/-aux pattern in the masculine plural: les gouvernements fédéraux. The feminine is fédérale. It is most commonly used in political or administrative contexts (l'État fédéral, la loi fédérale). The noun fédération (f) is closely related.

Examples

"Le gouvernement fédéral a adopté une nouvelle loi."

Natural Translation

The federal government passed a new law.

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