federation
/ˌfɛd.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
foederatio — a league or covenant
Overview
Meaning Now
- A group of states with a central government but independence in internal affairs.
- The act of constituting a political unit by agreement or league.
Literal older meaning
the act of making a treaty or covenant
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
foederation
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term reflects the shift in political theory during the early modern period, moving from feudal associations to formal, contractual alliances between states that retain individual sovereignty.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*bheidh-
“to trust, bind, or pledge”
- Latin
foedus
“covenant, treaty”
- Latin
foederatio
“the act of banding together”
- Middle French
fédération
“union, alliance”
- English
federation
“a federal political union”
Connections
Word parts
foeder
root
treaty/covenant
-ation
suffix
process or condition
Related across languages
French
fédération
federation
German
Föderation
federation
Explore next
Related to federation
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.