a piece of furniture with shelves, drawers, or compartments for storing or displaying items, a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the top leaders of the executive branch, a small group of politicians who hold a lot of power within a government

out of the cabinet, skeletons in the cabinet, above the salt

file cabinet, medicine cabinet, war cabinet

Formal and Informal Expressions of cabinet

In different contexts, you can replace 'cabinet' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'cupboard, repository' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'closet, cubbyhole' is a commonplace synonym.

cabinet: Explore its Definition & Usage

cabinet Definition

1a piece of furniture with shelves, drawers, or compartments for storing or displaying items
2a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the top leaders of the executive branch
3a small group of politicians who hold a lot of power within a government

Using cabinet: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "cabinet" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
She keeps her jewelry in a cabinet.
Example
The kitchen cabinets need to be repainted.
Example
The president's cabinet meets every week to discuss important issues.
Example
The prime minister reshuffled his cabinet after the election.
Example
The cabinet members are responsible for implementing government policies.

cabinet Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for cabinet

Antonyms for cabinet

bookshelf
open shelves

Idioms Using cabinet

out of the cabinet
no longer kept secret or hidden
Example
The scandal was out of the cabinet when the news broke.
skeletons in the cabinet
secrets or embarrassing facts about a person or organization that are kept hidden from the public
Example
The politician was afraid that his skeletons in the cabinet would be exposed during the election.
above the salt
belonging to the upper class or having high social status
Example
Only the members of the cabinet were seated above the salt at the state dinner.

Phrases with cabinet

file cabinet
a piece of office furniture with drawers for storing files
Example
I found the document you were looking for in the bottom drawer of the file cabinet.
medicine cabinet
a cabinet in a bathroom or bedroom for storing medicines and toiletries
Example
I keep my toothbrush and toothpaste in the medicine cabinet.
war cabinet
a group of high-ranking officials who make military decisions during a war
Example
The prime minister formed a war cabinet to oversee the country's military operations.

Origins of cabinet

from Old French 'cabinet', diminutive of 'cabine', meaning 'small room'

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Summary: cabinet in Brief

The term 'cabinet' [ˈkæbɪnət] refers to a piece of furniture used for storage or display, as well as a group of high-ranking state officials or politicians. It can also denote a small group of powerful individuals within a government. Examples include 'She keeps her jewelry in a cabinet.' and 'The president's cabinet meets every week to discuss important issues.' Phrases like 'file cabinet' and idioms like 'out of the cabinet' extend the term's usage.