A camarilla is a group of unofficial, often secret or scheming advisors, akin to a political clique, derived from the Spanish word for a small room.
Camarilla refers to a group of unofficial, often secret or scheming advisors, essentially a political clique. The Spanish word is a diminutive of 'cámara' (room), suggesting closed-door meetings.
| Word | camarilla |
|---|---|
| Date | May 3, 2007 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | kam-uh-RILL-uh |
| Etymology | "Camarilla" is borrowed from Spanish and is the diminutive of "cámara," which traces to the Late Latin "camera" and means "room"; a "camarilla," then, is literally a "small room." Political cliques and plotters are likely to meet in small rooms (generally with the door closed) as they hatch their schemes, and, by 1834, "camarilla" was being used in English for such closed-door groups of scheming advisers. The word is relatively rare in formal English prose, but it still finds occasional use in news stories. Some other descendants of the Latin "camera" include "camera," "comrade," "camaraderie," and "bicameral." |
| Examples | A resistance group has sprung up and is plotting to overthrow the tyrant leader and his camarilla. |
| Definition | : a group of unofficial often secret and scheming advisers; also : cabal |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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