junta

noun

jun·​ta ˈhu̇n-tə How to pronounce junta (audio) ˈjən- How to pronounce junta (audio)
ˈhən-
Synonyms of juntanext
1
: a council or committee for political or governmental purposes
especially : a group of persons controlling a government especially after a revolutionary seizure of power
a military junta
2
: junto

Examples of junta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 69-year-old general orchestrated a 2021 coup against the administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and placed her under arrest, sparking widespread ​protests that morphed into nationwide armed resistance against the junta. Reuters, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026 The military junta has systematically targeted Fulani civilians in what rights groups describe as ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Wilson McMakin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026 When Argentina hosted in 1978, the military junta that had taken power two years earlier staged elaborate ceremonies as markers of the country’s stability amid growing evidence of violent political repression. Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026 Estimates suggest that as many as 1,900 Jews were abducted, tortured and murdered by the military junta during the six-year Dirty War, when many sources say 30,000 people were disappeared. Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for junta

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from feminine of junto joined, from Latin junctus, past participle of jungere to join — more at yoke

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of junta was in 1622

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Junta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/junta. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

junta

noun
jun·​ta ˈhu̇n-tə How to pronounce junta (audio) ˈjənt-ə How to pronounce junta (audio)
ˈhən-tə
1
: a group of persons controlling a government especially after a revolution
2
: junto

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