Word of the Day - 12/15/25
cabal
/kə'bæl/(n.): a clique (often secret) that seeks power usually through intrigue
A cabal of strategists met privately to determine the party’s future direction.
Word Origin
The word 'cabal' originates from the French word 'cabale', which referred to 'secret intrigue' or 'a secret and mysterious doctrine'. This French term ultimately derived from the Medieval Latin 'cabbala', which designated the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah. The ultimate root is the Hebrew 'qabbalah', meaning 'tradition' or 'received doctrine'. The sense of a 'secret group of plotters' became prominent in English in the late 17th century, partly popularized by the historical coincidence that the initial letters of five ministers in King Charles II's reign (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale) spelled CABAL.
The most direct word with a similar origin is 'Kabbalah', which refers to the esoteric system of Jewish mysticism. Both words share the same ultimate Hebrew root, 'qabbalah'.