(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a federal country.
...the Russian Federation.
N-COUNT
2.
A ~ is a group of societies or other organizations which have joined together, usually because they share a common interest.
...the British Athletic Federation...
The organization emerged from a ~ of six national agencies.
N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft in names