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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
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Dowdy referred questions about Cunningham attending Republican caucus meetings to lawmakers.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Questions have been swirling about whether Cunningham would caucus — join party meetings at the legislature — with Democrats or join Republicans.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 May 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 9 May. 2026.
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caucus
noun
