What does federalist mean?
A federalist is a person who supports federalism — a system of government in which authority is shared between a central national government and regional units such as states or provinces. The term carries particular weight in American history: the Federalists were supporters of the proposed U.S. Constitution in the late 1780s, arguing that a stronger union was necessary after the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, and they later formed the Federalist Party under leaders like Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. Their most enduring legacy is the Federalist Papers, a series of essays defending the Constitution that remains influential in constitutional interpretation. Today, calling someone a federalist signals their stance on how power should be distributed within a nation, and the word appears frequently in debates over governance, devolution, and integration — notably in discussions of the European Union.
nounAn advocate or supporter of federalism, especially a believer in a strong central government sharing power with regional states. In American history, a member or supporter of the Federalist Party, which favored the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
- A person who supports federalism, i.e. a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent states.
- (historical, capitalized) A member or supporter of the Federalist Party in early U.S. politics, which championed the Constitution's ratification and a strong national government.
"As a committed federalist, she argued that a strong national government was essential to hold the states together."
"The senator, a lifelong federalist, defended the balance of power between Washington and the states."
"Hamilton, Madison, and Jay wrote as federalists to persuade New York to ratify the Constitution."
Standard plural form; regular -s plural.
"The federalists won the argument, and the Constitution was ratified in 1788."
The word 'federalist' helped birth a nation — the Federalist Papers, 85 essays penned mostly by Alexander Hamilton, are still cited by the U.S. Supreme Court today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of federalist
'Federalist' derives from 'federal', which comes from the Latin 'foedus', meaning covenant or treaty, via the Latin 'foederalis'. The word entered English usage prominently in late 18th-century America during the debate over ratifying the Constitution, when supporters of a strong union adopted the name Federalists. Related words sharing the same Latin root include federation, federate, and confederate.
How federalist is actually used
Lowercase 'federalist' refers generally to an advocate of federalism; capitalized 'Federalist' usually denotes the historical American political party or movement. Often used in political science and constitutional debates.
Easily confused with federalist
A federation is the system of united states itself, while a federalist is a person who advocates for such a system.