[hoo
n-tuh, juhn‑, huhn‑] 
| 1. | a small group ruling a country, esp. immediately after a coup d'état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted. |
| 2. | a council. |
| 3. | a deliberative or administrative council, esp. in Spain and Latin America. |
| 4. | junto. |
[juhn-tuh] . The 20th century has seen the emergence and, especially in North America, the gradual predominance of the pronunciation [hoon-tuh], derived from Spanish [hoon-tah] through reassociation with the word's Spanish origins. A hybrid form [huhn-tuh] is also heard.| jun·ta (hŏŏn'tə, jŭn'-) n.
[Spanish and Portuguese, conference, probably from Vulgar Latin *iūncta, from feminine past participle of Latin iungere, to join; see yeug- in Indo-European roots.] |
| Main Entry: | junta1 |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a governmental council or committee, esp. one that rules after a revolution |
| Etymology: | Latin jungere 'to join' |
| Main Entry: | junta2 |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a closely knit group; clique; also called junto |
| Etymology: | Latin jungere 'to join' |
A group of military leaders who govern a country after a coup d'état.
junta
(Spanish: "meeting"), committee or administrative council, particularly one that rules a country after a coup d'etat and before a legal government has been established. The word was widely used in the 16th century to refer to numerous government consultative committees. The Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion (1808) was organized by the juntas provinciales; the national committee was the junta suprema central. In subsequent civil wars or revolutionary disturbances in Spain, Greece, or Latin America, similar bodies, elected or self-appointed, have usually been called juntas.
Learn more about junta with a free trial on Britannica.com.
