junta

[ hoon-tuh, juhn‑, huhn‑ ]

noun

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.

junta

/ ˈhʊntə; ˈdʒʌn-; ˈdʒʊntə /

noun

1. a group of military officers holding the power in a country, esp after a coup d'état
2. Also calledjunto a small group of men; cabal, faction, or clique
3. a legislative or executive council in some parts of Latin America

junta

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

Pronunciation Note

When the word junta was borrowed into English from Spanish in the early 17th century, its pronunciation was thoroughly Anglicized to [juhn, -t, uh]. The 20th century has seen the emergence and, especially in North America, the gradual predominance of the pronunciation [hoon, -t, uh], derived from Spanish [hoon, -tah] through reassociation with the word's Spanish origins. A hybrid form [huhn, -t, uh] is also heard.

Word History and Origins

Origin of junta¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of junta¹

C17: from Spanish: council, from Latin junctus joined, from jungere to join

Example Sentences

Sixty percent of the people involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement, a peaceful protest designed to shut down the country, are women, and they continue to face sexual violence, harassment, abuse, and threats from the junta.

From Time

Before they left, the junta forced them to sign a bond saying that they and their children would never speak out against them, to guarantee the safety of their family that remained in the country and the privilege of being allowed to return.

From Time

Once, when I was staying with a cousin in Yangon, I had to hide in her wardrobe as junta inspectors came to the door because I wasn’t listed as a resident.

From Time

Under the previous junta, which ruled from 1962 to 2011, there was little access to information outside of military propaganda.

From Time

On March 25, Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement was nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize—and just weeks ago, protesters were using creativity, humor and the arts to inspire solidarity and mock the junta.

From Time

If J-Law suddenly decided to declare solidarity with Thai anti-junta activists?

From The Daily Beast

The students were protesting the May 22 military coup that brought a junta and Gen. Prayut to power.

From The Daily Beast

A junta can do it, using their military power to overtly or covertly control decisions at the highest level.

From The Daily Beast

Markov still calls Ukrainian officials “the junta,” enemies.

From The Daily Beast

The junta reportedly has appointed a six-member advisory board to look after security, the economy, and laws.

From The Daily Beast

One of the provisional junta of government is the greatest slave merchant here.

From Project Gutenberg

These papers were received by the junta of Provisional Government, at whose head was the Bishop.

From Project Gutenberg

Each of these has as its head an officer called a regedor, and occupies the attention of a junta de parochia, or parish council.

From Project Gutenberg

La junta passada de adonde comenron todas las desverguenas que al presente ay en este reyno.

From Project Gutenberg

The viceroy of Peru, dismayed by this disaster, asked a truce, which the Junta consented to accord to him.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• faction
• government