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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
Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 9 July 2025
While the caucuses allow each group to gain attention for their cause, House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said the sheer number of caucuses has become too large.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2025
Jared Gans, The Hill, 21 May 2025
As the bar’s standing room filled on a recent Friday evening, staffers deftly caucused with patrons, who hovered expectantly in their best spring jackets.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for caucus
Cite this Entry
“Caucus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucus. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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caucus
noun
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