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federale

(informal, mainly, California, also, MLE, _, slang, and, Hispanic slang) A federal law enforcement officer, usually belonging to the United States government.

fɛdəˈɹɑːliCurrent260 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Seen in the wild
6 citations · last seen May 2026

Seen in the wild

Definitions

#1·Apr 27, 2026

(informal, mainly, California, also, MLE, _, slang, and, Hispanic slang) A federal law enforcement officer, usually belonging to the United States government.

And all the federales say / They could have had him any day / They only let him hang around / Out of kindness, I suppose
Origin: from the plural, from , from federal. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"federale" means: A federal law enforcement officer, usually belonging to the United States government.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"federale" means: A federal law enforcement officer, usually belonging to the United States government.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

Heard in the wild
  • “- De Trump-regering wil bizons van federale graslanden in Montana verwijderen en vervangen door vee, na het intrekken van graasvergunningen, meldt de New York Times.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(informal, US, slang) : A member of the Mexican Federal Police.

And all the federales say / They could have had him any day / They only let him hang around / Out of kindness, I suppose
Heard in the wild
  • “Vlaamse OCMW’s vragen federale steun vanwege stijgende vraag #VlaamseOCMW #maatschappelijkwelzijn #federaleSteun #socialeBijstand #hervormingen”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “📸: Desconocida / Bundesamt für Landestopografie, Office fédéral de topographie, Ufficio federale di topografia, Federal Office of Topography/ dominio público”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Water vervuild uit de kraan, meer tabak mag straks verkocht worden en de federale staat wil ook nog kerncentrales gaan bedrijven…. @deafspraak.bsky.social”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Juve Stabia e altri cinque club deferiti al Tribunale Federale #Deferimenti #Juvestabia #Penalizzazioni #Tribunalefederale”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Ook België rouwt om het verlies van een jong meisje. Als eerste minister en namens de federale regering betuig ik onze oprecht medeleven aan haar familie en aan allen die door deze tragedie zijn getroffen. Onze gedachten zijn ook bij de gewonde jonge Belgen en hun naasten. (7/9)”

    — Bluesky· Jan 2026
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For specific readers

"federale" means: A federal law enforcement officer, usually belonging to the United States government.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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