WordGarden.iocabinet
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /kˈæbɪnət/
US
- /ˈkæbənət/
Meanings
Noun
a cupboard or piece of storage furniture
a group of senior government ministers
an enclosing case for equipment or components
Beyond the definition
A cabinet can mean several things. Most often it is furniture with doors, shelves, and drawers for storing things like dishes, towels, or tools. It can also refer to a group of top government officials who advise a country's leader, often called a president's or prime minister's cabinet. In older English, it also meant a small private room or study in a larger house. So when you hear it, check the context: is it about home storage, national politics, or old architecture?
That way, you store in one version, leaders consult in another, and people retire to a private room in historical settings.
The word "cabinet" began in Old French as cabinet, a word for a small room. Over time, that small room sense came to mean a private study or retreat, especially one used for quiet consultation. That sense helped shape the political meaning, where cabinet now refers to a small group of senior ministers who advise a head of government.
The furniture sense developed from pieces of enclosed storage found in those rooms and later spread to general built-in and free-standing storage units. Today, you might meet a kitchen cabinet for dishes, a bathroom cabinet for toiletries, or a tool cabinet in a garage. A cabinet often has shelves, drawers, and doors to keep items organized and out of sight.
In language, the older association with confidential space still lingers: a person might hear phrases like "cabinet papers" or "cabinet meeting" and think about secrecy, authority, and private decision making as much as physical furniture.
Examples
- 1
Kitchen storage
The bowls are in the cabinet above the sink.
- 2
Home renovation
We had all the kitchen cabinets replaced before we moved in.
- 3
Bathroom medicine
Check the medicine cabinet in the bathroom for painkillers.
- 4
Office files
The contract is in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Government ministers
The prime minister met with the cabinet this morning.
- Domainin government, the cabinet
the group of senior government ministers
- 6
Government job
She was hoping for a cabinet post after her party won the election.
- Domaincabinet post
an important government job in the cabinet
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- cabinetnoun
Forms
- cabinetspluralnoun