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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
Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2024
Neither was included on the Black caucus’ priority list.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024
Sara Dorn, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
What that means for your money Sens. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucus with Democrats, also voted against the measure.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caucus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Caucus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucus. Accessed 16 Sep. 2024.
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caucus
noun
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