the act of constituting a political unity out of a number of separate states or colonies or provinces so that each member retains the management of its internal affairs
an organization formed by merging several groups or parties
a world organization of autonomous states that are united in allegiance to a central power but are not subordinate to it or to one another
the official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)
used of a height or viewpoint; "a commanding view of the ocean"; "looked up at the castle dominating the countryside"; "the balcony overlooking the ballroom"
offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power; "an autocratic person"; "autocratic behavior"; "a bossy way of ordering others around"; "a rather aggressive and dominating character"; "managed the employees in an aloof magisterial way"; "a swaggering peremptory manner"
belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy; "an aristocratic family"; "aristocratic Bostonians"; "aristocratic government"; "a blue family"; "blue blood"; "the blue-blooded aristocracy"; "of gentle blood"; "patrician landholders of the American South"; "aristocratic bearing"; "aristocratic features"; "patrician tastes"
a member of the Union Army during the American Civil War
national; especially in reference to the government of the United States as distinct from that of its member units; "the Federal Bureau of Investigation"; "federal courts"; "the federal highway program"; "federal property"
characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities; "a federal system like that of the United States"; "federal governments often evolved out of confederations"
of or relating to the central government of a federation; "a federal district is one set aside as the seat of the national government"
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree; "a considerable quantity"; "the economy was a considerable issue in the campaign"; "went to considerable trouble for us"; "spent a considerable amount of time on the problem"
of great significance or value; "important people"; "the important questions of the day"
having or suggesting a consciousness of high position; "recited the decree with an important air"; "took long important strides in the direction of his office"
of or in a condition of social order; "civil peoples"
not rude; marked by satisfactory (or especially minimal) adherence to social usages and sufficient but not noteworthy consideration for others; "even if he didn't like them he should have been civil"- W.S. Maugham
(of divisions of time) legally recognized in ordinary affairs of life; "the civil calendar"; "a civil day begins at mean midnight"
applying to ordinary citizens; "civil law"; "civil authorities"
of or relating to or befitting citizens as individuals; "civil rights"; "civil liberty"; "civic duties"; "civic pride"
of or occurring within the state or between or among citizens of the state; "civil affairs"; "civil strife"; "civil disobedience"; "civil branches of government"
having great power or force or potency or effect; "the most powerful government in western Europe"; "his powerful arms"; "a powerful bomb"; "the horse's powerful kick"; "powerful drugs"; "a powerful argument"