Copy Citation
You know what it looks like… but what is it called?
TAKE THE QUIZshadow cabinet
noun
: a group of leaders of a parliamentary opposition who constitute the probable membership of the cabinet when their party is returned to power
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Members of its shadow cabinet are in hiding inside Myanmar and in exile.
Grant Peck, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2021
Labour’s Rachel Reeves, the shadow cabinet office minister, said in a statement.
Joe Mayes, Bloomberg.com, 21 Oct. 2020
Labour shadow cabinet member David Lammy told the BBC that the government needs to ensure its track and trace testing regime is in order by then to ensure students can travel across the country.
Alex Morales, Bloomberg.com, 27 Sep. 2020
The shadow cabinet is used to refer to the senior group of opposition MPs who take on policy areas that correspond to the government’s cabinet.
Fox News, 25 June 2020
Starmer was elected Labour leader on Saturday and named his top team of shadow cabinet ministers on Sunday.
Stuart Biggs, Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020
Where Corbyn had to select a shadow cabinet from a narrow pool of hard-core socialists and party loyalists, Starmer has been able to gather his team from across the party.
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2020
After Brits narrowly voted to depart the EU, a mass exodus from Corbyn’s shadow cabinet ensued, and Labour lawmakers brought a no-confidence motion against him.
Adam Rasmi, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2020
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, however, many Labour MPs and members of the shadow Cabinet were reluctant to burst the bubble.
Eliza Mackintosh, CNN, 25 Sep. 2019
See More
Grant Peck, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2021
Labour’s Rachel Reeves, the shadow cabinet office minister, said in a statement.
Joe Mayes, Bloomberg.com, 21 Oct. 2020
Labour shadow cabinet member David Lammy told the BBC that the government needs to ensure its track and trace testing regime is in order by then to ensure students can travel across the country.
Alex Morales, Bloomberg.com, 27 Sep. 2020
The shadow cabinet is used to refer to the senior group of opposition MPs who take on policy areas that correspond to the government’s cabinet.
Fox News, 25 June 2020
Starmer was elected Labour leader on Saturday and named his top team of shadow cabinet ministers on Sunday.
Stuart Biggs, Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020
Where Corbyn had to select a shadow cabinet from a narrow pool of hard-core socialists and party loyalists, Starmer has been able to gather his team from across the party.
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2020
After Brits narrowly voted to depart the EU, a mass exodus from Corbyn’s shadow cabinet ensued, and Labour lawmakers brought a no-confidence motion against him.
Adam Rasmi, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2020
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, however, many Labour MPs and members of the shadow Cabinet were reluctant to burst the bubble.
Eliza Mackintosh, CNN, 25 Sep. 2019
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shadow cabinet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1906, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to shadow cabinet
Dictionary Entries Near shadow cabinet
Cite this Entry
“Shadow cabinet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shadow%20cabinet. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
-
- I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card.
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Challenging SAT Words, Vol. 2
No Number 2 pencil required.
Take the quiz
-
What Did You Just Call Me?
See if you can tell the insults from the complime...
Take the quiz
-
Name That Thing
You know what it looks like… but what is it cal...
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share