disapproval If you refer to a group of politicians or other people as a cabal, you are criticizing them because they meet and decide things secretly. He had been chosen by a cabal of fellow senators. a secret government cabal. a small group of people who make secret plans, especially in order to have political power (cabale, from cabbala , from qabbalah )
The name for Charles II's inner circle of advisers, from about 1667 to 1673, based on their initials: Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale
one of several suggested collective nouns for Goths Others are coven (yawn), sneering, sarcasm, flock (after ravens, one presumes) vanity and misery Archaeus firmly believes that a group of Goths seen on or shortly after leaving Slimelight should be called a smear 'Vanity' and 'misery' depend on who you hang around with, really, but 'cabal' has the advantage of having both occult connotations and a certain air of cachet, not to mention a nice reference to our habit of lurking in dark corners to gossip
ca bal [k*-'bal] n [F cabale, cabala, intrigue, cabal, fr ML cabbala cabala, fr LHeb] qabba-la-h, lit , received (lore) a number of persons secretly united to bring about an overturn or usurpation esp in public affairs the artifices and intrigues of such a group cabal vi or ca balled; or ca bal ling : to unite in or form a cabal fnord
A number of persons united in some close design, usually to promote their private views and interests in church or state by intrigue; a secret association composed of a few designing persons; a junto
{i} group of conspirators; conspiracy, plot, secret plan; secret political faction; small exclusive group, clique
The secret artifices or machinations of a few persons united in a close design; intrigue
To unite in a small party to promote private views and interests by intrigue; to intrigue; to plot
engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together; "They conspired to overthrow the government"
[ k&-'bäl, -'bal ] (noun.) 1614. From French cabale from Medieval Latin cabala, which in turn is derived from the Hebrew Kabbalah, קבלה "something received" (i.e., from tradition, from antiquity). It is likely that the mystical often secretive nature of Kabbalah led to formation of the word cabal.