antifederalist
|an-ti-fed-er-al-ist|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈfɛd.ər.əl.ɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tiˈfɛd(ə)r.əl.ɪst/
against a strong central government
Etymology
'antifederalist' originates from a combination of the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') and 'federalist' (from 'federal', ultimately from Latin 'foedus', meaning 'league' or 'treaty').
'antifederalist' developed from the contemporary hyphenated form 'anti-Federalist' used during the 1787–88 United States debates; over time the hyphenated form consolidated into the single word 'antifederalist' in modern English.
Initially, it referred specifically to members of the historical Anti-Federalist movement in the United States; over time it has also come to be used more broadly for anyone opposing strong central government or federal consolidation.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a member or supporter of the Antifederalists, the late-18th-century political movement in the United States that opposed ratification of the 1787 Constitution.
An antifederalist argued that the Constitution would give too much power to the central government.
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Noun 2
a person who opposes federalism or the concentration of power in a strong central government (used generally, beyond the historical movement).
In modern debates, the label antifederalist is sometimes applied to those who favor greater regional autonomy.
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Last updated: 2025/09/01 00:58