junta

[ hoo n-tuh, juhn‐, huhn‐ ]
/ ˈhʊn tə, ˈdʒʌn‐, ˈhʌn‐ /

noun

a small group ruling a country, especially immediately after a coup d'état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted.
a council.
a deliberative or administrative council, especially in Spain and Latin America.

Origin of junta

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

pronunciation note for junta

When the word junta was borrowed into English from Spanish in the early 17th century, its pronunciation was thoroughly Anglicized to [juhn-tuh] /ˈdʒʌn tə/. The 20th century has seen the emergence and, especially in North America, the gradual predominance of the pronunciation [hoo n-tuh] /ˈhʊn tə/, derived from Spanish [hoon-tah] /ˈhun tɑ/ through reassociation with the word's Spanish origins. A hybrid form [huhn-tuh] /ˈhʌn tə/ is also heard.

Example sentences from the Web for junta

British Dictionary definitions for junta

junta
/ (ˈdʒʊntə, ˈdʒʌn-, US ˈhʊntə) /

noun

a group of military officers holding the power in a country, esp after a coup d'état
Also called: junto a small group of men; cabal, faction, or clique
a legislative or executive council in some parts of Latin America

Word Origin for junta

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

Cultural definitions for junta

junta
[ (hoon-tuh, jun-tuh) ]

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