junta

noun jun·ta \ ˈhu̇n-tə , ˈjən- , ˈhən- \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of junta

1 : a council or committee for political or governmental purposes; especially : a group of persons controlling a government especially after a revolutionary seizure of power

a military junta

2 : junto

See junta defined for English-language learners

See junta defined for kids

Recent Examples of junta from the Web

Abiy will be Ethiopia's third prime minister since the former military junta, the Derg, was overthrown in 1991.

— Bloomberg.com, "Ethiopia Installs New PM Amid Hopes He Can Stop Protests," 2 Apr. 2018
Abiy will be Ethiopia’s third prime minister since the former military junta, the Derg, was overthrown in 1991.

— Washington Post, "Ethiopia installs new PM amid hopes he can stop protests," 2 Apr. 2018
Even though existing parties are not allowed to do any campaigning or organising, several new, pro-junta parties are being allowed to form.

— The Economist, "Scandal swirls around Thailand’s junta at an awkward moment," 1 Feb. 2018
His junta handed over power following democratic elections that year.

— silas gbandia, Bloomberg.com, "Former Civil War Leader Wins Tight Presidential Race in Sierra Leone," 4 Apr. 2018
Wa Lone shouts to a crowd of supporters before being carted back to Yangon’s infamous Insein prison, known as the place the country’s former military junta would lock away and torture political prisoners.

— verena hölzl / yangon, Time, "They've Spent Months in Jail for Doing Their Jobs. But These Two Reuters Reporters Are Not Losing Hope," 4 Apr. 2018
Bio, leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party and former junta head of the West African nation in 1996, took 51.81 percent of the vote, beating Samura Kamara of the outgoing All People's Congress, who won 48.19 in the poll on Wednesday.

— bukola adebayo, CNN, "Sierra Leone declares former junta head president," 4 Apr. 2018
Sisi first appeared on the Egyptian political stage as the youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, a military junta that temporarily ruled Egypt after public protests forced former President Hosni Mubarak to step down in 2011.

— alexia underwood, Vox, "Sisi won Egypt’s election. That doesn’t mean he’s safe.," 3 Apr. 2018
Boat people, drifters, all because of the tyranny of the military junta that has destroyed our future.

— zito madu, GQ, "The Unflinching Humanity of Ai Weiwei's Human Flow," 27 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'junta.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.