caucus

1 of 2

noun

cau·​cus ˈkȯ-kəs 

: 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

Noun

House Democrats initially planned to hold their leadership elections on Friday, but a handful of outstanding races prompted the caucus to reschedule the meeting. —Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2024

On Thursday, Braun plans to meet with Indiana House and Senate Republican caucuses, as well as Holcomb. —Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 6 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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1800, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1808, in the meaning defined above

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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 

: 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