A federal country or system of government is one in which the different states or provinces of the country have important powers to make their own laws and decisions.

Some people use federal to describe a system of government which they disapprove of, in which the different states or provinces are controlled by a strong central government.

Federal also means belonging or relating to the national government of a federal country rather than to one of the states within it.

Federals are the same as feds .