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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
Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Just eight Republicans took out Kevin McCarthy last year, together with the entirety of the Democratic caucus.
—The Editors, National Review, 22 Apr. 2024
Her unanimous appointment by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors returns the Democratic caucus to its full 29-member strength.
—Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson listens during a press conference following a House GOP caucus meeting at the Capitol on April 10, 2024.
—CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024
Saturday Alaska and Wyoming hold their Democratic presidential caucuses.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
The vocal minority Democratic caucus in the Indiana Legislature decried the new law for favoring firearms companies.
—Isabella Volmert, Quartz, 6 Apr. 2024
But she's steadily flexed her power in the caucus and her popularity within the Republican party base, and now sits on the House Oversight Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
Both Alaska and Wyoming's state parties have caucuses, though President Joe Biden, who is set to face former President Donald Trump in November, is the only major candidate running and clinched his party's nomination earlier this year.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2024
Steve Peoples, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, Assembly Democrats caucused to discuss their own early budget action plan.
—Lindsey Holden, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
By comparison, 75,000 Republican voters caucused in Nevada in 2016, but this year may look more like 2008 and 2012, when 44,000 and 33,000 Republicans participated, respectively.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2024
Trump makes closing argument at New York fraud trial, disregarding judge's limits
Trump's legal, political calendars collide under a week before Iowa caucuses
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E. Jean Carroll
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Clare Hymes
Clare Hymes is an associate producer for the investigative unit at CBS News.
—Clare Hymes, CBS News, 16 Jan. 2024
Currently, the Senate has 48 Democrats, 49 Republicans and three independent members who caucus with Democrats, giving the Democrats a majority.
—Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
But after a humbling meeting with the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, he was allowed to keep his Homeland Security Committee chairmanship and resumed caucusing with the party.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Iowa Caucus live updates:Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and other Republican hopefuls make their final push
Donald Trump is 'honored' by early call
Trump said he was honored by the early call, which came less than an hour after Iowans began caucusing.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024
In the primaries and caucuses Buchanan got less than a fourth of the votes and won no states.
—Ron Elving, NPR, 3 Mar. 2024
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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Cite this Entry
“Caucus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucus. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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caucus
noun
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