junta

[hoon-tuh, juhn‑, huhn‑]

noun

1. a small group ruling a country, especially immediately after a coup d'état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted.

2. a council.

3. a deliberative or administrative council, especially in Spain and Latin America.

4. junto.

junta

/ ˈdʒʊntə, ˈhʊntə, ˈdʒʌn- /

noun

1. a group of military officers holding the power in a country, esp after a coup d'état

2. Also called: junto. a small group of men; cabal, faction, or clique

3. a legislative or executive council in some parts of Latin America

junta

1. A group of military leaders who govern a country after a coup d'état.

Pronunciation Note

When the word junta was borrowed into English from Spanish in the early 17th century, its pronunciation was thoroughly Anglicized to . The 20th century has seen the emergence and, especially in North America, the gradual predominance of the pronunciation , derived from Spanish through reassociation with the word's Spanish origins. A hybrid form is also heard.

Word History and Origins

Origin of junta¹

1615–25; < Spanish: a meeting, noun use of feminine of Latin junctus, past participle of jungere to join; junction

Word History and Origins

Origin of junta¹

C17: from Spanish: council, from Latin junctus joined, from jungere to _join

Example Sentences

Myanmar is in the midst of a brutal civil war between the junta - which seized power in a 2021 coup - and ethnic militias and resistance forces.

From BBC

Myanmar will begin its general elections on 28 December, its military government announced, in a phased poll widely condemned as a sham that will be used to entrench the junta's power.

From BBC

Sai and his wife decided to leave Thailand as they were worried of being deported back to Myanmar, also known as Burma, where Sai believes he will be persecuted for his activism against the junta.

From BBC

In a statement read on national television late on Thursday, the junta alleged that Yann Vezilier was working "on behalf of the French intelligence service".

From BBC

"All are soldiers. Their objective was to overthrow the junta," it quoted an unnamed lawmaker in the National Transition Council as saying.

From BBC

Related Words

• faction 
• government