cabal

[kuh-bal, kuh-bawl]

noun

1. a small group of secret plotters, as against a government or person in authority.

   Synonyms: ring, league, band, faction, junta

2. the plots and schemes of such a group; intrigue.

3. a clique, as in artistic, literary, or theatrical circles.

verb (used without object)

caballed, caballing 

1. to form a cabal; intrigue; conspire; plot.

cabal

¹

/ kəˈbæl /

noun

1. a small group of intriguers, esp one formed for political purposes

2. a secret plot, esp a political one; conspiracy; intrigue

3. a secret or exclusive set of people; clique

verb

1. to form a cabal; conspire; plot

Cabal

²

/ kəˈbæl /

noun

1. English history a group of ministers of Charles II that governed from 1667–73: consisting of Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale

Other Word Forms

• caballer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cabal¹

First recorded in 1610–20, for an earlier sense; earlier cabbal, from Medieval Latin cabbala; kabbalah

Word History and Origins

Origin of cabal¹

C17: from French cabale, from Medieval Latin cabala; see _cabbala

Origin of cabal²

see _kabbalah ; by a coincidence, the initials of Charles II's ministers can be arranged to form this word

Synonym Study

See conspiracy.

Example Sentences

From the moment he emerged as a champion of the right, Sarkozy was convinced he had been the target of a left-wing cabal within the French judiciary and media.

From BBC

“Including exposing the cabal of rich and powerful elites that enabled this,” Greene wrote on X, adding she was “proud” to be signing the petition.

From Salon

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, essentially for putting her own professional integrity and commitment to public service above crackpot directives from a cabal of vaccine skeptics.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of them have theorised that a child-molesting cabal has been operating at the highest levels of US society, protected by the state.

From BBC

Spinning non-stop lies about secret cabals conspiring against red America keeps their audiences hooked, and it also isolates them from reality-based society.

From Salon