text: where did the presidents cabinet get its name? the first presidential cabinet like many parts of the american political system, the idea of a cabinet was borrowed from great britain. hundreds of years ago, the word cabinet referred to a small room, no bigger than a cabinet, that was located near the private rooms of the king or queen. the monarch's advisors would be brought to the cabinet for confidential discussions about the empire. the most trusted advisors visited the cabinet most often. they came to be called the cabinet counsel, or simply, the cabinet