cabal
/kəˈbɑːl/noun, verb
cabal is spelled C-A-B-A-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,462nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a derogatory noun, cabal means “A putative, secret organization of individuals gathered for a political purpose” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cabal is cabals.
How many letters and syllables are in cabal?
| Letters | 5: C-A-B-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,462nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is cabal?
Cabal appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,462nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce cabal?
- /kəˈbɑːl/
- /kəˈbæl/
Cabal has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-cabal1.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-cabal2.wav, En-us-cabal.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of cabal
- cabals plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- cabaling US, participle, present
- caballing UK, participle, present
- cabaled US, participle, past
- caballed UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cabal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
derogatoryA putative, secret organization of individuals gathered for a political purpose.
The cabal is plotting to ruin the world.
- 2
A secret plot.
The cabal to destroy the building was foiled by federal agents.
- 3
An identifiable group within the tradition of Discordianism.
verb
- 1
To engage in the activities of a cabal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cabal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cabale |
| German | Geheimbund |
| Spanish | camarilla, sociedad secreta, séquito , conspiración, cábala |
| Portuguese | cabala |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does cabal come from?
From French cabale, from Medieval Latin cabbala, which in turn is derived from Hebrew קַבָּלָה (kabalá, “Jewish mysticism”, literally “reception, something received”) (such as knowledge). Doublet of Kabbalah, as well as, more distantly, ghibli.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).