noun
an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
• Hyponyms:
↑Bloomsbury Group, ↑bohemia, ↑kitchen cabinet, ↑brain trust, ↑loop, ↑cabal, ↑faction, ↑junto, ↑camarilla, ↑military junta, ↑junta, ↑mafia, ↑maffia, ↑sect, ↑galere, ↑rogue's gallery, ↑hard core
* * *
noun, pl ⋯ -cles [count]
: a small group of people who lead a government or an organization or who are close to its leader
— usually singular
The President has an inner circle of advisers.
* * *
the small group of people who have a lot of power in an organization, or who control it
Useful english dictionary. 2012.