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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
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
And Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, despite voting against the deal, is hearing calls to step down from leadership for not keeping his caucus in line.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2025
W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 13 Nov. 2025
But eight senators who caucus with Democrats joined Republicans in approving the bill in the Senate.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Caucus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucus. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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caucus
noun
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