Meanings
plural federal cases
- idiomaticinformalAn exaggerated ordeal; excessive fuss or indignation about some situation.
So I didn't put the toilet seat down — you don't have to make a federal case out of it.
1 more example
You think I'm some kind of codependent ditz overwhelmed by reality outside of Catholic school, and I'm not supposed to make a federal case out of it?
2010, Zachary Klaas, Time Tourists, page 122Synonyms: big deal, big thing, production, meal, song and dance
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn exaggerated ordeal; excessive fuss or indignation about some situation.
Origin
In the United States of America, courts with federal jurisdiction generally are for much more serious offenses than those whose cases are heard by local courts.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
federal case. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/federal%20case
“federal case.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/federal%20case. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “federal case,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/federal%20case.
Source: federal case on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.