cabal

[ kuh-bawl, kuh-bal ]
See synonyms for: cabalcaballedcaballingcaballer on Thesaurus.com

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

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

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

verb (used without object),ca·balled, ca·bal·ling.
  1. to form a cabal; intrigue; conspire; plot.

Origin of cabal

1
First recorded in 1610–20, for an earlier sense; earlier cabbal, from Medieval Latin cabbala; see kabbalah

synonym study For cabal

2. See conspiracy.

Other words for cabal

Other words from cabal

  • ca·bal·ler, noun

Words Nearby cabal

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How to use cabal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cabal (1 of 2)

cabal

/ (kəˈbæl) /


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

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

  1. a secret or exclusive set of people; clique

verb-bals, -balling or -balled (intr)
  1. to form a cabal; conspire; plot

Origin of cabal

1
C17: from French cabale, from Medieval Latin cabala; see cabbala

British Dictionary definitions for Cabal (2 of 2)

Cabal

/ (kəˈbæl) /


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

Origin of Cabal

2
see kabbalah; by a coincidence, the initials of Charles II's ministers can be arranged to form this word

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