party caucus

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableAmerican

   A private meeting of the members of one political party in a legislature to agree on strategy, leaders or how to vote.

   Grammar: Countable: hold a party caucus; also takes a singular verb for the meeting.

   Patterns

   • hold a party caucus
   • a party caucus on something

   The Democrats held a party caucus before the budget vote.

   Republican senators left the party caucus without announcing a decision.

   A party caucus can choose who will lead the chamber.

2. 2nouncountableAmerican

   All the elected members of a party in a legislature, considered together as a group.

   Grammar: Can be treated as a group: the party caucus is divided.

   Patterns

   • the party caucus is divided
   • member of the party caucus

   The party caucus is split over the tax bill.

   She was elected chair of the party caucus.

   Newcomers in the party caucus pushed for reform.

Word forms

Common combinations

hold a party caucus

Leaders will hold a party caucus on Monday evening.

party caucus meeting

The party caucus meeting lasted two hours.

party caucus chair

The party caucus chair addressed reporters afterward.

break with the party caucus

Two members broke with the party caucus on the vote.

party caucus leader

The party caucus leader urged unity.

Synonyms and how they differ

party conference

A conference is usually a larger gathering that includes members beyond legislators.

party room

Party room is the Australian term for the private meeting of a party's legislators.

faction

A faction is a subgroup inside a party, while a party caucus is the whole party's legislators.

Word family

caucus noun

a meeting or group of members of a party

caucus verb

to meet in a caucus

caucuses noun

the plural form

partisan adjective

strongly supporting one party

Commonly confused: party caucus or primary?

Practice

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