Junta

How to spell junta

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce junta

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does junta mean?

1. nounA group, typically of military officers, that controls a government after seizing power.

Junta in a sentence

• The military junta suspended the constitution within hours of the coup.

• Foreign governments refused to recognise the junta that had taken control.

Where does junta come from?

Language of origin: Spanish

This word came into English directly from Spanish and Portuguese junta, which means a council, board, or committee. That noun descends from the Latin iuncta, the feminine form of iunctus, the past participle of iungere, 'to join', so the literal idea is 'a joined body' or a gathering of people brought together for a common purpose. English borrowed it in the early 1600s, at first simply for an administrative or deliberative council in Spain or Italy. Over time, and especially through the political upheavals of Latin America and southern Europe, the sense narrowed to a group, often military officers, that seizes and holds power after a coup. The spelling preserves the original Spanish form exactly, which is why the written 'j' is so deceptive: many speakers pronounce it with an 'h' sound as in Spanish, yet the letter on the page is still a 'j'.

How the word is built

• junt- (from Spanish junta: council, assembly, ultimately Latin iuncta 'joined')
• -a (noun ending)