caucus

1 of 2

noun

cau·​cus ˈkȯ-kəs How to pronounce caucus (audio)
: a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy
a presidential caucus
also : a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause

caucus

2 of 2

verb

caucused; caucusing; caucuses

intransitive verb

: to meet in or hold a caucus
The committee caucused to select the most promising candidates.

Did you know?

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact origins of caucus, but some scholars think the word may have developed from an Algonquian term for a group of elders, leaders, or advisers. An early example of the word in use comes from John Adams, who in February of 1763 reported that the Boston “caucus club,” a group of politically active city elders, would soon meet and that, at the meetings, those present would “smoke tobacco till you [could not] see from one end of the garret to the other.” A similarly opaque smoke screen seems to cloud the history of caucus to this day.

Examples of caucus in a Sentence

Noun the National Women's Political Caucus Verb Democrats caucused last week to choose their candidates.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Despite ultimately winning the 2016 primary, however, Trump's ability to turn out Christian voters faced serious questions after Cruz won the Iowa caucuses and bested the New Yorker in the evangelical-heavy states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Donald Trump becomes 1st US president tried and convicted of crimes Trump also faced a Republican primary with more than a dozen challengers, including his former vice president, but most dropped out before the Iowa caucus and Trump won all but two state primaries. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
Republicans have already all but gotten that down to 50-50, with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, retiring, likely assuring that GOP Gov. Jim Justice will replace him in one of the deepest red states in the country. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024 With the retirement of Sens. Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who caucus with Democrats and previously prevented the party from altering the filibuster, Tester is likely to become the most prominent roadblock. Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for caucus 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1800, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1808, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of caucus was in 1800

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near caucus

Cite this Entry

“Caucus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucus. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

caucus

noun
cau·​cus
ˈkȯ-kəs
: a closed meeting of members of a political party or faction usually to select candidates or decide policy
caucus verb

Legal Definition

caucus

noun
cau·​cus ˈkȯ-kəs How to pronounce caucus (audio)
: a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy
caucus intransitive verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!