cabal

cabal

See also: Cabal

English

Etymology

From French cabale, from Medieval Latin cabbala [1], which in turn is derived from Hebrew קַבָּלָה‎ (kabalá, “Jewish mysticism”, literally “reception, something received”) (such as knowledge). Doublet of Kabballah.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kəˈbɑːl/, /kəˈbæl/

  • Audio (UK)

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• Rhymes: -ɑːl, -æl

Noun

cabal (plural cabals)

1. A secret political clique or faction.
   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), OCLC 630079698, page 91:

     With his active and intriguing temper, Francis would doubtless have taken an eager part in the court cabals and conspiracies which make the history of Charles the Second;...

2. (derogatory) A putative, secret organization of individuals gathered for a political purpose.

   Synonym: camarilla

   The cabal is plotting to ruin the world.

3. A secret plot.

   Synonym: conspiracy

   The cabal to destroy the building was foiled by federal agents.

4. An identifiable group within the tradition of Discordianism.
   • 1965 Greg Hill and Kerry Thornley, Principia Discordia

     Some episkoposes have a one-man cabal. Some work together. Some never do explain.

Derived terms

• cabalistic
• cabbalistic
• TINC (“there is no cabal”)

Translations

secret organization

Bulgarian: конспирация (bg) f (konspiracija) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Esperanto: komploto, intrigo Finnish: salaliitto (fi) French: cabale (fr) f German: Geheimbund (de) m Greek: κλίκα (el) f (klíka) Italian: setta (it) f Japanese: 秘密結社 (himitsu kessha) Macedonian: клика f (klika) Russian: кли́ка (ru) f (klíka) Spanish: cábala (es), camarilla (es) f, sociedad secreta (es) f Swedish: kabal (sv) c

secret plot, conspiracy

Portuguese: cabala (pt) f

Verb

cabal (third-person singular simple present cabals, present participle cabaling or caballing, simple past and past participle cabaled or caballed)

1. (intransitive) To engage in the activities of a cabal.
   • 1704, [Jonathan Swift], “Section I. The Introduction.”, in A Tale of a Tub. […], London: […] John Nutt, […], OCLC 752990886, page 45:

     [W]e think it very unbecoming our Prudence, that the Determination ſhould be remitted to the Authors themſelves; when our Adversaries, by Briguing and Caballing, have cauſed so univerſal a Defection from us, that the greater Part of our Society has already deſerted to them, […]

   • 1840, George Payne Rainsford James, The King’s Highway, volume I, pages 68–69:

     […] I believed her to have been carried off by some persons belonging to a party of Jacobites who were known to be caballing against the government, though to what extent was not then ascertained.

   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, OCLC 3174108:

     But the Subalterns' and Captains' ladies (the Major is unmarried) cabal against her a good deal. They say that Glorvina gives herself airs and that Peggy herself is intolerably domineering.

See also

• cabal glass

References

1. Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “cabal”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

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Catalan

Etymology

From Late Latin capālis, from Latin capitālis. Equivalent to cap +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /kəˈbal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /kaˈbal/
• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

cabal (masculine and feminine plural cabals)

1. complete, total
2. upright, well-rounded

Noun

cabal m (plural cabals)

1. goods, possessions
2. (of a fluid) flow, discharge
3. (telecommunications) throughput

Derived terms

• cabaler

Further reading

• “cabal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

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Galician

Etymology

From Late Latin capalis or from cabo +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kɑˈβal]

Adjective

cabal m or f (plural cabais)

1. whole, complete
   • 1823, Pedro Boado Sánchez, Diálogo entre dos Labradores gallegos afligidos:

     E may-lo Alcalde habíase d’alegrar, qu’el tamen está picado, qu’ainda n-hay ano é medio cabal que lle morreo á muller, é tamen pagou á farda como cada fillo de veciño.

     And the mayor would also be glad, because he's also piqued, because there's not a whole year and a half that his wife died and he also paid the burden as every mother's son

   Synonym: completo

2. exact

   Synonym: exacto

Related terms

• cabo

References

• “cabal” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “cabal” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.

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Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kaˈbaw/ [kaˈbaʊ̯]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈbal/ [kɐˈβaɫ]

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: ca‧bal

Adjective

cabal m or f (plural cabais)

1. complete
2. rigorous
3. exact
4. satisfactory

Derived terms

• cabalmente

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Spanish

Etymology

cabo +‎ -al

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈbal/ [kaˈβ̞al]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: ca‧bal

Adjective

cabal (plural cabales)

1. upright, honest
2. exact
3. complete, entire, full

Derived terms

• cabalmente
• en sus cabales

Further reading

• “cabal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014