cabal
UK[kəˈbæl]US[kəˈbɑːl]
n
A small group of people who work together secretly, especially for a political purpose.
n
A secret plot or scheme, especially of a political nature.
Morpheme Breakdown
cabal
cabal
unsegmentable
Etymology
The word 'cabal' entered English in the early 17th century from French 'cabale', which itself came from Medieval Latin 'cabala'. This Latin term was a transliteration of the Hebrew 'qabbālāh', meaning "received lore" or "tradition," specifically referring to the mystical interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures. In English, the term initially referred to Jewish mysticism but evolved to denote secret intrigue, influenced by the secretive nature of such studies. Its modern meaning was cemented in popular English history by the coincidence that the initials of five influential ministers of King Charles II (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale) spelled 'CABAL', fitting the word's sense of a secret political faction.
Analysis
Structure: cabal (unsegmentable)
The word is a loanword from French, ultimately derived from Hebrew 'qabbālāh'. It functions as a simplex noun in English.
Examples
The minister was accused of being part of a cabal plotting to overthrow the leadership.
Their decisions were made not by the full committee but by a secretive inner cabal.
Historians often speak of a financial cabal that controlled the city's economic policies from behind the scenes.