A cabal is a small group of people who scheme together in secret, usually to gain power or control something. The word carries a sense of shadowy plotting: when people form a cabal, they're meeting in private, making plans they don't want others to know about, often for selfish reasons. They operate through secrecy and hidden coordination rather than working openly like a team or committee.

You might read in a story about a cabal of villains plotting to take over the kingdom, or in history about a cabal of advisors secretly influencing a king's decisions. The word suggests something slightly sinister: these aren't people organizing a surprise party or keeping a harmless secret. They're conspiring to manipulate events or people for their own benefit.

In school, if a small group of students secretly planned to change club election rules to benefit themselves, someone might call that a cabal. The word implies both secrecy and questionable motives.

When you see cabal in your reading, picture a handful of people huddled together, whispering plans they don't want the world to hear.