# fed

/ˈfɛd/ (US) · /fˈɛd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fed
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 3. government agent

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · Slang

a slang term for an officer who works for the national government.

For teachers: a slang term for a federal government official or law enforcement agent, often used with a suspicious or derogatory tone.

- The suspects fled the scene when they realized the feds were watching the house.
- The investigation was eventually handed over to the feds once it became clear the crime crossed state lines.

### 4. the police

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Slang

a slang term used in some cities, like London, to mean the police.

For teachers: a slang term for police officers, particularly common in Multicultural London English.

- Everyone stopped talking when they saw the feds driving down the street.
- Local youths often use the term feds to refer to any uniformed police presence in the neighbourhood.

### 5. a federation

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a short way of saying 'federation', often used in sports like powerlifting.

For teachers: a clipping of federation, frequently used in the context of organized sports bodies or political unions.

- He decided to switch to a different powerlifting fed for his next competition.
- The athlete was banned from the national fed after failing a routine drug test during the qualifiers.

## Examples

- He saw a fed watching the house from a car.
- The group stopped talking as soon as they suspected there might be a fed in the room.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.