ENGLISH
REFERENCE

feds

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfɛdz// UK //fˈɛdz// feds Slang

n. the police or government agents, especially those who work for a national or federal office. People often use this word in movies or when they don't like the authorities.

n. federal agents or law enforcement officers, specifically those belonging to a national agency like the FBI. Often used in a collective sense to refer to the central government's investigative power.


SIMPLE

The feds are investigating the bank robbery.

CONTEXTUAL

After the local police failed to solve the case, the feds stepped in to take over the investigation.

COMPLEX

The suspect realized the feds had been monitoring his encrypted communications for months before they finally moved in to make an arrest.

Synonyms
Usage

Usually appears in the plural form 'feds'; when used as 'the Fed', it refers specifically to the Federal Reserve.

Pitfall

The fed is coming.The feds are coming.When referring to law enforcement agents, the word is almost always used in the plural.

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