Federal vs. National — What's the Difference?

Of, relating to, or being a form of government in which a union of states recognizes the sovereignty of a central authority while retaining certain residual powers of government.

Of, relating to, or characteristic of a nation

Of or constituting a form of government in which sovereign power is divided between a central authority and a number of constituent political units.

Of or relating to nationality

Of or relating to the central government of a federation as distinct from the governments of its member units.

Of or maintained by the government of a nation

Favorable to or advocating federation

Devoted to one's own nation or its interests; patriotic.

Relating to or formed by a treaty or compact between constituent political units.

A citizen of a particular nation

Of, relating to, or supporting Federalism or the Federalist Party.

Often nationals A contest or tournament involving participants from all parts of a nation.

Of, relating to, or loyal to the Union cause during the American Civil War.

Pertaining to a nation or country, especially as a whole; affecting, shared by, or existing throughout all of a nation.

Often Federal Of, relating to, or being the central government of the United States.

Belonging to or characteristic of a specific nation or country, as opposed to others.

Federal Relating to or characteristic of a style of architecture, furniture, and decoration produced in the United States especially in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and characterized by adaptations of classical forms combined with typically American motifs.

Nationalistic; patriotic.

A supporter of the Union during the American Civil War, especially a Union soldier.

A subject of a nation.

A Federalist.

A tournament in which participants from all over the nation compete.

Often Federal A federal agent or official.

A national newspaper.

Pertaining to a league or treaty; derived from an agreement or covenant between parties, especially between nations.

Of or pertaining to a nation; common to a whole people or race; public; general; as, a national government, language, dress, custom, calamity, etc.

Pertaining to the national government level in a federal nation, as opposed to state, provincial, county, city, or town.

Attached to one's own country or nation.

A federal agent

A citizen (of a particular country); as, U. S. nationals are advised to contact their embassy when abroad.

(US) A law-enforcement official of the FBI

A country-wide sports competition; for a series of competitions, the plural form is usually used; as, to advance to the nationals.

(historical) A unionist soldier in the American Civil War.

A person who owes allegiance to that nation;

A supporter of federation.

Of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country;

Pertaining to a league or treaty; derived from an agreement or covenant between parties, especially between nations; constituted by a compact between parties, usually governments or their representatives.

Limited to or in the interests of a particular nation;

Composed of states or districts which retain only a subordinate and limited sovereignty, as the Union of the United States, or the Sonderbund of Switzerland.

Concerned with or applicable to or belonging to an entire nation or country;

See Federalist.

Owned or maintained for the public by the national government;

A member of the Union Army during the American Civil War

Inside the country;

Any federal law-enforcement officer

Characteristic of or peculiar to the people of a nation;

National; especially in reference to the government of the United States as distinct from that of its member units;

Of or relating to nationality;

Of or relating to the central government of a federation;

Being of or having to do with the northern United States and those loyal to the Union during the Civil War;

Characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities;