Word
caucus
Phoneticscau·cus, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɑkəs/
UK/kˈɔːkəs/
Definitions
01political meeting
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law American English · Formal
n. a meeting where members of a political party choose candidates or decide on a plan.
n. a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement to mobilize and coordinate action.
Español:bancada
“The local party members held a caucus to decide which candidate to support for mayor.”
“Voters in Iowa gathered for the first caucus of the election cycle, participating in a series of debates before casting their final ballots.”
Usage
Often used in the context of US primary elections.
02a political group
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law American English · Formal
n. a group of people in a government who belong to the same party or share the same interests.
n. a group within a legislative or decision-making body that shares common goals or party affiliation.
“The environmental caucus met to discuss the new laws about clean water.”
“The legislative caucus remained divided on the tax reform bill, with several members threatening to vote against the party line.”
Usage
Commonly used for groups like the 'Black Caucus' or 'Women's Caucus'.
03to meet together
C1 · Advanced Law American English · Formal
v. to meet as a group to discuss a plan or choose a leader.
v. to hold or participate in a caucus; to confer with members of the same political faction.
“The delegates will caucus tonight to pick their representative.”
“The committee members decided to caucus privately before returning to the floor to announce their final decision.”
Usage
Usually an intransitive verb.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Albanese told a meeting of Labor’s caucus that the plan was a threat to the compulsory super rules.” “The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has savaged One Nation’s plans, telling a meeting of Labor’s caucus that the plan was a threat to the compulsory super rules.” “His problem is that the Conservative Party rules allow his own caucus to vote him out, a process that was used to oust Erin O’Toole as leader so that Poilievre could take over.” Etymology
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. caucus race
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/caucus
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0