ʻO Fediverse kahi portmanteau o nā huaʻōlelo ʻelua "federation" a me "universe". He inoa maʻamau ia no nā ʻupena kaiapili hui e holo ana ma nā polokalamu hāmama manuahi ma ka lehulehu o nā kikowaena a puni ka honua. ʻO ka mōʻaukala, ua komo kēia huaʻōlelo i nā kahua microblogging wale nō e kākoʻo ana i kahi pūʻulu o nā protocol i kapa ʻia ʻo OStatus. ʻAʻole i hoʻokō pono kēia i ka nui o nā papahana e hui pū ana, kaʻana like i nā waiwai like a kaulana loa. Me ka hiʻohiʻona a me ka hoʻohana ākea ʻana i kahi protocol maʻamau hou i kapa ʻia ʻo ActivityPub, ʻaʻohe mea kūpono e hoʻokaʻawale hou i ka honua federated i nā papahana "OStatus" a me "non-OStatus". Hoʻohui kēia alakaʻi i nā ʻupena hui hui like ʻole ma lalo o hoʻokahi huaʻōlelo "Fediverse".