Word
feds
US/ˈfɛdz/
UK/fˈɛdz/
Definitions
01federal agents
n. government agents who work for a national or federal office, especially in the US.
n. agents or officials belonging to a federal government agency, most commonly used in the United States to refer to the FBI or similar bureaus.
“In the movie, the feds were tracking the bank robbers across three different states.”
“The investigation was eventually handed over to the feds once it became clear that the crime involved interstate commerce and federal tax evasion.”
American English · Slang
Usage
Usually used with the definite article 'the'.
02the police
n. a general slang term for the police.
n. a generic slang term for law enforcement officers, regardless of their specific jurisdiction or federal status.
“Someone shouted that the feds were coming, and the illegal party ended quickly.”
“In certain urban dialects, 'the feds' has become a catch-all term for any police presence, even when the officers are local rather than national.”
Slang · British English · American English
Teaching tip
While originally American, this term is now common in British urban slang (MLE) to refer to any police officer.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“He has connections in Hawaii, Idaho, Washington State, California, and several other countries.”
In addition, the feds said Lang had connections in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia and Canada.”