Cabal has been associated with a group of five ministers in the government of England's King Charles II. The initial letters of the names or titles of those men (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale) spelled cabal, and they have been collectively dubbed as the "Cabal Cabinet" or "Cabal Ministry." But these five names are not the source of the word cabal, which was in use decades before Charles II ascended the throne. The term traces back to cabbala, the Medieval Latin name for the Kabbalah, a traditional system of esoteric Jewish mysticism. Latin borrowed Cabbala from the Hebrew qabbālāh, meaning "received or traditional lore."
plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.
an assassination plot
intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.
backstairs intrigue
machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.
the machinations of a party boss
conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.
a conspiracy to fix prices
cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.
a cabal among powerful senators
Examples of cabal in a Sentence
Noun
a cabal plotting to overthrow the government
a conspiracy theory about the existence of an international cabal devoted to world domination
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The various political plots (and there are many) are so deliciously over the top that an international cabal often found at their center is called, literally, the Cabal.—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024 Adherents coalesced on a narrative: A cabal of global leaders, who sometimes drank the blood of children, would be exposed and arrested by Trump.—Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2024 These are all ace players getting into a cabal of friends who are frenemies who are suspects.—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2024 In my view, Joe Biden was overthrown by an elitist cabal.—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for cabal
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cabal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
French cabale cabala, intrigue, cabal, from Medieval Latin cabbala cabala, from Late Hebrew qabbālāh, literally, received (lore)
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