cabal

1 of 2

noun

ca·​bal kə-ˈbäl  -ˈbal 

1

: the contrived schemes of a group of persons secretly united in a plot (as to overturn a government)

also : a group engaged in such schemes

2

: club, group

a cabal of artists

cabal

2 of 2

verb

caballed; caballing

intransitive verb

: to unite in or form a cabal

Did you know?

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."

Synonyms

Noun

• conspiracy
• crew
• gang
• Mafia
• mob
• ring
• syndicate

Choose the Right Synonym for cabal

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

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

Though most bureaucrats in the system are not part of any conscious cabal, the result—DEI scholarships in Burma and green energy projects in Timbuktu—is often much the same. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025

To suggest that hateful, immoral behavior is being driven by a cabal of the Catholic Church wielding the axe of natural law is to engage in the very hate- and fearmongering that Schwartz seems to eschew. —Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025

That whole company is basically just a cabal of meeting-schedulers. —Graham Techler, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2025

Musk seems to be a minister without a portfolio in charge of some no-goodnik cabal. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French cabale cabala, intrigue, cabal, from Medieval Latin cabbala cabala, from Late Hebrew qabbālāh, literally, received (lore)

First Known Use

Noun

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1678, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

cabal

noun

ca·​bal

kə-ˈbal,

-ˈbäl

: a small group of persons working together secretly (as to take over a government)