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

Etymology

Origin of junta

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

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

Over the past year the military junta recaptured much of the territory it had lost to the hundreds of insurgent groups which formed to resist the coup.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

There were former members of the people's defence forces which have been fighting against the junta.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

It brokered the two truces and threw its weight behind then junta chief Min Aung Hlaing when he mounted elections he touted as a return to civilian rule.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

At one point, the rebels threatened to unseat the junta.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 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

This month, Venezuela and the military juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger also started the process of leaving the ICC, based in The Hague, which prosecutes individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

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

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

This is the room in which the municipal body hold their juntas.

From The Picturesque Antiquities of Spain Described in a series of letters, with illustrations representing Moorish palaces, cathedrals, and other monuments of art, contained in the cities of Burgos, Valladolid, Toledo, and Seville. by Wells, Nathaniel Armstrong

Related Words

• faction
• government