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
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Scott, who was seeking his 13th term in Congress despite challenges from within his party, was once a leading voice for Democrats on issues related to farm aid policy and food aid for consumers and a prominent Black member of the party’s moderate Blue Dog caucus.
—Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Tiago Ventura, Time, 16 Apr. 2026
The result will have an effect on the balance of power in the House, where Republicans (and one independent who caucuses with the party) hold 218 seats and Democrats have 214.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for caucus
Cite this Entry
“Caucus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucus. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
caucus
noun
