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caucus

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caucus

  • /ˈkɔːkəs/ UK
  • /ˈkoːkəs/ Australia, British, New Zealand
  • /ˈkɔkəs/ US
  • /ˈkɑkəs/ US, cot caught merger
  • /ˈkɔkəs/ Scotland

Rhymes with -ɔːkəs

Where it comes from

Unknown. Often claimed to be from an Algonquian language; transcribed words such as cawaassough and caucauasu meaning "counselor, elder, adviser" appear in early texts. A popular folk etymology attested in Great Leaders and National Issues of 1896 stated: "In the early part of the eighteenth century a number of caulkers connected with the shipping business in the North End of Boston held a meeting for consultation. That meeting was the germ of the political caucuses which have formed so prominent a feature of our government ever since its organization." American Heritage Dictionary states the term is taken from the Caucus Club of Boston in the 1760s, possibly from Medieval Latin caucus (“drinking vessel”).

noun caucuses · caucusses

  1. Canada, Israel, Pakistan, South Africa, US, Zimbabwe A usually preliminary meeting of party members to nominate candidates for public office or delegates to be sent to a nominating convention, or to confer regarding policy. He conferred with Mr. Warren of Plymouth upon the necessity of giving into spirited measures, and then said, "Do you keep the committee in play, and I will go and make a caucus against the evening; and do you meet me."
  2. Canada, Israel, Pakistan, South Africa, US, Zimbabwe A grouping of all the members of a legislature from the same party.

    Similar: parliamentary group

  3. Canada, Israel, Pakistan, South Africa, US, Zimbabwe A political interest group by members of a legislative body.

verb caucuses · caucusses · caucusing · caucussing · caucused

  1. Canada, Israel, Pakistan, South Africa, US, Zimbabwe To meet and participate in a caucus. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut said yesterday that he will caucus with Senate Democrats in the new Congress, but he would not rule out switching to the Republican caucus if he starts to feel uncomfortable among Democrats.
  2. Canada, Israel, Pakistan, South Africa, US, Zimbabwe To confer. The protesters caucused nearby to discuss demands.
  3. Canada, Israel, Pakistan, South Africa, US, Zimbabwe To bring into or treat in a caucus. Although journalists from the private media were barred from entering the hall, different districts caucused the meeting, discussing the voting centres and other logistics.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: committee, delegation, mediation, group, task, grouping, liberal, rally, forum, gathering, csd, groupe, huddle, panel, meteor, block

Translations

Every language

noun a meeting of party members

Españolbancada
한국어당원집회 dang'wonjiphoe
日本語党員集会 tōin shūkai
中文黨團會議 /党团会议 dǎng tuán huìyì
Portuguêsreunião/convenção (de partido)
Françaiscaucus
DeutschWahlausschuss
Русскийпарти́йное собра́ние partíjnoje sobránije, партсобра́ние partsobránije, ко́кус kókus
עבריתכינוס kinús, כנס kénes

noun a grouping of all members of a legislature representing the same party

Portuguêsbancada
Françaiscaucus, groupe parlementaire
DeutschFraktion, Parlamentsgruppierung
Русскийгруппиро́вка gruppiróvka, фра́кция frákcija
עבריתסיעה siá

noun a legislative interest group

日本語議連 giren
Portuguêsbancada
Русскийгру́ппа интере́сов grúppa interésov, лобби́стская гру́ппа lobbístskaja grúppa

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Cite this
MLA

"caucus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/caucus. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

caucus. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/caucus

Chicago

"caucus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/caucus.

BibTeX
@misc{caucus_2026,
  title = {caucus},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/caucus},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}