federation

英 [fedə'reɪʃ(ə)n] 美['fɛdə'reʃən]

• n. 联合；联邦；联盟；联邦政府

1. an organization formed by merging several groups or parties

2. a union of political organizations

3. 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