A word for a secret organisation that controls the government

I'm trying to find a specific word that I've forgotten , it is a noun that refers to a secret group or society that is controlling the government. I'm about 60% sure it starts with 's' and 90% sure it's a single word. It's sometimes used in spy/action movies. Any help would be appreciated.

Edit: Some examples of things that could be considered this are the illuminati, hydra from marvel. Use of this word would be "the illuminati is a blank" or referring perhaps to a politician "I sespect he is part of a blank"

Solution 1:

Welcome to the site. I believe your question is appropriate here because it is partly about concept-associative vocabulary.

Four words come to mind, but all (in your 40%) without initial "s", and all with initial "c". They are coterie, cabal, camarilla,and clique. Whether these are used in movies or not I cannot say. The meanings are trivial to look up but of the four I like:

cabal =

a small group of people who plan secretly to take action, especially political action

Cambridge dictionary

and

camarilla =

a group of advisers, usually a secret group who are involved in a plot

for example "... an entourage of penniless, ignorant, intriguing ministers watched over by camarillas of officers..."

Macmillan dictionary

Wikipedia has a broader definition of cabal that fits it almost exactly to your specification:

"A cabal is a group of people united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, state, or other community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those outside their group. The use of this term usually carries negative connotations of political purpose, conspiracy and secrecy."

Wikipedia

An illustration of the use of cabal is:

"The common theme in conspiracy theories about a New World Order is that a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world through an authoritarian world government—which will replace sovereign nation-states—and an all-encompassing propaganda whose ideology hails the establishment of the New World Order as the culmination of history's progress. Many influential historical and contemporary figures have therefore been alleged to be part of a cabal that operates through many front organizations to orchestrate significant political and financial events, ranging from causing systemic crises to pushing through controversial policies, at both national and international levels, as steps in an ongoing plot to achieve world domination"

Wikipedia

It is interesting that these words reflect a Romance language influence (French & Spanish). If we look for similar words in northern Europe (Scandinavian, German, Russian) we often find transliterative versions of cabal and clique.

Solution 2:

I agree Cabal seems the best fit for a general type; an alternative 'S' word of that ilk is:

Sect

Sticking with S, Deep State or Secret State or Shadow State are terms sometimes used for the actual rulers...

A couple of examples of actual names (though not really English usage, but it's possible they have been remembered) -

For specific organisations used in the Bond franchise, beginning with S:

SPECTRE (and before that SMERSH)

For an alleged USA secret society beginning with S (represented among others by George W. Bush):

Skull and Bones

Who are allegedly a branch of the most famous (though not very S-friendly) secret (world) government, The Illuminati.