caucus

American  

[kaw-kuhs] / ˈkɔ kəs /

noun

• caucuses
  plural

1. U.S. Politics.

   1. a local meeting of party members to select candidates, elect convention delegates, etc.

   2. a meeting of party members within a legislative body to select leaders and determine strategy.

   3. Often Caucus a faction within a legislative body that pursues its interests through the legislative process.

      the Women's Caucus; the Black Caucus.

2. any group or meeting organized to further a special interest or cause.

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verb (used without object)

• caucuses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• caucused,
  past participle,  past
• caucusing
  present participle

1. to hold or meet in a caucus.

verb (used with object)

• caucuses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• caucused,
  past participle,  past
• caucusing
  present participle

1. to bring up or hold for discussion in a caucus.

   The subject was caucused.

2. to bring together or poll in a caucus.

   The paper caucused its new editorial board on Friday.

   The chairman caucused the water pollution committee before making recommendations.

caucus British  

/ ˈkɔːkəs /

noun

1. 1. a closed meeting of the members of one party in a legislative chamber, etc, to coordinate policy, choose candidates, etc

   2. such a bloc of politicians

      the Democratic caucus in Congress

2. 1. a group of leading politicians of one party

   2. a meeting of such a group

3. a local meeting of party members

4. a group or faction within a larger group, esp a political party, who discuss tactics, choose candidates, etc

5. a group of MPs from one party who meet to discuss tactics, etc

6. a formal meeting of all Members of Parliament belonging to one political party

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verb

1. (intr) to hold a caucus

caucus Cultural  

1. A meeting of members of a political party to nominate candidates, choose convention delegates, plan campaign tactics, determine party policy, or select leaders for a legislature.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• caucuses
  plural

Participles

• caucusing
  present
• caucused
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• caucus
  simple
• caucuses
  simple
• have caucused
  perfect
• has caucused
  perfect
• am caucusing
  progressive
• are caucusing
  progressive
• is caucusing
  progressive
• have been caucusing
  perfect progressive
• has been caucusing
  perfect progressive

Past

• caucused
  simple
• had caucused
  perfect
• was caucusing
  progressive
• were caucusing
  progressive
• had been caucusing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will caucus
  simple
• will have caucused
  perfect
• will be caucusing
  progressive
• will have been caucusing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of caucus

An Americanism dating back to 1755–65; apparently first used in the name of the Caucus Club of colonial Boston; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Medieval Latin caucus “drinking vessel,” Late Latin caucum, from Greek kaûkos; perhaps from Virginia Algonquian Cawcawwassough “elders of the Chickahominy people”

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Explanation

The noun caucus is a closed meeting of members from the same political party. The Iowa caucuses get a lot of attention during the presidential primary season. Who knows how we got the noun caucus? One theory is that it comes from an Algonquin word that means an elder or leader of the tribe. Another theory is that the word comes from a social and political club in Boston in the 1700s that was perhaps named for the Greek word for drinking cup. However the word slipped into American English, today it refers to a closed political meeting, often used to choose party leaders.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caucus caucuses caucused caucusing

But Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated another incumbent, the head of the congressional Hispanic caucus, Adriano Espaillat.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

The caucus talks a lot about organizational structure and theory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

"I have the full support of our caucus... Our caucus is united, and it is determined to win this election," he told reporters after the meeting which lasted more than three hours.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

“A caucus they could pull off; if they want to be as open and inclusive as possible, that’s probably their best option.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

"There was no caucus and the opinion still holds," the brother with the pipe said.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Among those who crossed the political aisle to support it were 10 Republicans and Rep. Kevin Kiley, an independent from Rocklin, Calif., who caucuses with Republicans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026

But that overlooks the degree to which Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune kept their caucuses together for a few important bits of action.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025

They were joined by Maine's Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, who also voted to reopen the government.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2025

Even with the heavy focus on the redistricting ballot measure, gubernatorial candidates were also skittering around the convention, speaking to various caucuses, greeting delegates in the hallways and holding private meetings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2025

We were in the process of building a massive grassroots campaign network—ultimately two hundred staffers in thirty-seven offices—the largest in the history of the Iowa caucuses.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Jones, who works part-time at a hospital, said she has never caucused before.

From Reuters ● Oct. 27, 2023

As he took his place on the stand, lawyers caucused briefly over how to address the witness, who also goes by the title Duke of Sussex.

From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2023

The price point for a deal remains around $50 million a season, according to those I have caucused, and Jackson almost certainly will seek record guarantees.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 23, 2022

For the first time in months of negotiations, there was immediate back and forth: MLB made a proposal, the union caucused and countered, and management is to respond Saturday.

From Fox News ● Feb. 26, 2022

We caucused among ourselves and lobbied all the residents of the house, and within weeks elected our own House Committee, defeating the upperclassmen.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Voters also wondered whether they could participate in both contests, or if casting a primary ballot and caucusing would constitute an illegal attempt to vote twice.

From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2024

Temperatures are not forecast to rise above minus 2 degrees on Monday, and by the time caucusing begins, the wind chill could make it feel more like minus 35 degrees.

From New York Times ● Jan. 13, 2024

Carroll Hinchion, a 30-year-old independent, is considering caucusing with Republicans as well and came to hear DeSantis in Council Bluffs.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2024

Former delegate Lacey Putney, a Bedford Democrat turned independent who ended his career caucusing with Republicans, still holds the record as the state’s longest-serving legislator, serving 52 years, from 1962 to 2014.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 23, 2023

A recess of half an hour was then taken, and some little caucusing followed.

From Sketches New and Old, Part 7. by Mark Twain

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Related Words

• convention
• gathering
• meeting
• session

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