# caucus

/ˈkɑkəs/ (US) · /kˈɔːkəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/caucus
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. political meeting

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Formal

a meeting where members of a political party choose candidates or decide on a plan.

For teachers: a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement to mobilize and coordinate action.

- 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.

### 2. a political group

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Formal

a group of people in a government who belong to the same party or share the same interests.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. to meet together

verb · CEFR C1 · American English · Formal

to meet as a group to discuss a plan or choose a leader.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The party members held a caucus to choose their new leader.
- Before the general assembly began, the environmental caucus met to finalize their list of demands for the new law.
- The state's unique caucus system requires voters to gather in local gymnasiums and physically move to different corners of the room to show support for their preferred candidate.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.