Definition

Noun: 1. An informal group of trusted advisors: A small, unofficial, and often secretive group of people who give advice to a person in a position of power, especially a political leader, bypassing the official, formal advisory structures.

Usage

The term is used to describe a private, influential network whose advice may carry more weight with the leader than that of the official cabinet or appointed officials. It often implies a lack of transparency and formal accountability.

Examples

• The president was known to rely more on his kitchen cabinet of old friends than on his official ministers.
• Critics accused the prime minister of forming a kitchen cabinet that operated outside the scrutiny of parliament.
• Her most trusted decisions came after consulting her kitchen cabinet.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used in political journalism and analysis to critique governance that appears to sideline formal institutions in favor of personal, informal counsel.
• While historically and most commonly applied to political leaders (like a president or prime minister), the concept can be metaphorically extended to CEOs or other powerful figures who have a close circle of unofficial advisors.

Variants and Related Words

• Brain trust: A group of expert advisors. This has a more formal and intellectual connotation than "kitchen cabinet," which is more personal and informal.
• Inner circle: The small group of people who are closest to and most influential with a leader. This is a broader term that can include a "kitchen cabinet."

Synonyms

• Inner circle
• Unofficial advisors
• Privy council (in a historical, but often more formal, context)
• Closest advisors

Idioms and Related Phrases

• To have someone's ear: To have influence over someone, to be listened to by them. A member of a kitchen cabinet is said to "have the leader's ear."
  • Example: The journalist had the chancellor's ear and was considered part of her kitchen cabinet.

Noun

1. an inner circle of unofficial advisors to the head of a government