# feds

/ˈfɛdz/ (US) · /fˈɛdz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/feds
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. federal agents

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · Slang

government agents who work for a national or federal office, especially in the US.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Usually used with the definite article 'the'.

### 2. the police

noun · CEFR B2 · Slang · British English · American English

a general slang term for the police.

For teachers: 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.

Teaching tip: While originally American, this term is now common in British urban slang (MLE) to refer to any police officer.

## Examples

- The feds are investigating the bank robbery.
- After the local police failed to solve the case, the feds stepped in to take over the investigation.
- The suspect realized the feds had been monitoring his encrypted communications for months before they finally moved in to make an arrest.

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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.