junta

American  

[hoon-tuh, juhn-, huhn-] / ˈhʊn tə, ˈdʒʌn-, ˈhʌn- /

noun

• juntas
  plural

1. a small group ruling a country, especially immediately after a coup d'état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted.

2. a council.

3. a deliberative or administrative council, especially in Spain and Latin America.

4. junto.

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junta British  

/ ˈdʒʊntə, ˈhʊntə, ˈdʒʌn- /

noun

1. a group of military officers holding the power in a country, esp after a coup d'état

2. Also called: junto. a small group of men; cabal, faction, or clique

3. a legislative or executive council in some parts of Latin America

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junta Cultural  

1. A group of military leaders who govern a country after a coup d'état.

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Pronunciation

When the word junta was borrowed into English from Spanish in the early 17th century, its pronunciation was thoroughly Anglicized to . The 20th century has seen the emergence and, especially in North America, the gradual predominance of the pronunciation , derived from Spanish through reassociation with the word's Spanish origins. A hybrid form is also heard.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• juntas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of junta

1615–25; < Spanish: a meeting, noun use of feminine of Latin junctus, past participle of jungere to join; see junction

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Explanation

When a government is overthrown, the coalition or group that forms and takes control is called a junta. If the military has seized control, as so often happens, then the group is called a military junta. Junta is pronounced with an initial h sound, which gives you a clue to its origins. It’s from the Spanish junta, for a military or political group ruling the country after it has been taken over. Spanish got junta from the Latin jungere, to join. Remember, all the players in the junta must join together to overthrow the government.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

junta juntas

He deployed fighters to protect the military junta in the West African country of Mali for $10 million a month, according to the Pentagon-funded Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

But the junta said last week "security conditions" were not met for Embalo's return.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

It was the highest-level engagement between Washington and Myanmar’s ruling junta since the 2021 coup that ousted its elected leader, the Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and plunged the country into civil war.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The thwarted mutiny also highlights something the ruling junta may not want to admit - just how dependent on Moscow it has become for security.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

It was the time of the junta, and because he couldn’t obtain the necessary medicines, he watched helplessly as the first patient died from the disease.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Benin officials suspect Tigri, Samary and the sergeant have found shelter with one of the neighboring military juntas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026

Niger and landlocked Mali, ruled by juntas, are allies along with military-ruled Burkina Faso, and all three are grappling with intensified jihadist attacks.

From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026

Ruled by military juntas, both countries have ended the presence of Western troops, particularly French forces, over recent years.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025

Gold is a lifeline for the military juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, who are beleaguered by jihadist insurgencies, regional isolation, and the ravages of climate change.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2025

One of these is the resolution of the groups referred to by Landa as las partes juntas.

From The Ancient Phonetic Alphabet of Yucatan by Daniel Garrison Brinton

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Related Words

• faction
• government

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