junta
Americannoun
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a small group ruling a country, especially immediately after a coup d'état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted.
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a council.
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a deliberative or administrative council, especially in Spain and Latin America.
noun
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a group of military officers holding the power in a country, esp after a coup d'état
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Also called: junto. a small group of men; cabal, faction, or clique
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a legislative or executive council in some parts of Latin America
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.
Etymology
Origin of junta
1615–25; < Spanish: a meeting, noun use of feminine of Latin junctus, past participle of jungere to join; junction
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Since the junta took power in a 2023 coup, Niger has turned to Russia, which commands the world's largest arsenal of atomic weapons, for help in fighting the west African country's jihadist insurgency.
From Barron's
Some have arrived under army escort from Niger, an ally that, like Mali, is also run by a military junta.
From Barron's
A military junta seized power in Mali in 2021, forcing French troops to leave after accusing them of failing to stem the insurgency.
From BBC
Niger has suspended hundreds of national and international rights groups and aid agencies, in the ruling junta's latest crackdown targeting NGOs in the west African country, authorities told AFP Thursday.
From Barron's
Myanmar's junta has long been accused of turning a blind eye but has trumpeted a crackdown since February after being lobbied by key military backer China, experts say.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
