cabal

American  

[kuh-bal, kuh-bawl] / kəˈbæl, kəˈbɔl /

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.

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verb (used without object)

caballed, caballing

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

cabal ¹ British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to form a cabal; conspire; plot

Cabal ² British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See conspiracy.

Other Word Forms

• caballer noun

Etymology

Origin of cabal

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

Example Sentences

"This entire criminal cabal that came about as a result of the murder of John F. Kennedy, the people that perpetrated the murder of John F. Kennedy, rise up to that."

From Salon

But it is with two other members of the cabal that current interest lies.

From Seattle Times

He has these great ambitions, but he continues to see that there's a small cabal of elites who are determined to undermine him, and that he has to fight them at all times.

From Salon

Secondly, we need to delegitimize the financial institutions that are financing the oil industry and are a part of the fossil-fuel cabal.

From Seattle Times

Trump and his coup cabal and the other Republican fascists and their followers failed in their immediate short-term mission on Jan. 6 to nullify the 2020 Election and by doing so to end American democracy.

From Salon