federalism

3 synonyms and 4 antonyms for federalism, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A system of government in which power is shared between one central authority and a set of regional governments, each with its own areas of control that the other cannot simply override.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

federal system federal government decentralised government

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A system of government in which power is shared between one central authority and a set of regional governments, each with its own areas of control that the other cannot simply override.

“Federalism means education is run by the states rather than from the capital.”

federal system federal government decentralised government

Opposites

unitarism centralism

2. noun

Support for such a division of power, or for binding separate states more closely together in a federal union.

“He was a lifelong advocate of European federalism.”

Opposites

separatism secessionism

How to use federalism

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

cooperative federalism fiscal federalism principles of federalism federalism and states' rights

Neutral and academic; standard vocabulary in politics, law and history.

Etymology

From federal, which comes from Latin foedus, foeder- 'league, covenant, treaty', plus the suffix -ism denoting a doctrine or system.

Full origin of federalism →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between federalism and a confederation?

Under federalism the central government has real authority that acts directly on citizens, and neither level can abolish the other. In a confederation the member states keep sovereignty and the central body only has powers they choose to lend it, which they can withdraw.

What is the difference between federalism and devolution?

Federalism divides power constitutionally, so regional powers cannot be removed by the centre alone. Devolution hands powers down from a central parliament that still holds ultimate authority and could in principle take them back.

Which countries use federalism?

Among the best-known examples are the United States, Germany, India, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Switzerland and Nigeria. The details vary widely, particularly over how tax revenue is split and which level controls courts and policing.

People also searched

separatism unitarism secessionism centralism

Nearby words

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