clique

noun

: a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons
especially : one held together by common interests, views, or purposes
high school cliques
cliquey adjective
cliquish adjective
cliquishly adverb
cliquishness noun

Examples of clique in a Sentence

that clique refuses to even talk to outsiders at their lunch table
Recent Examples on the Web Similarly, the Pink Ladies, a popular clique headed by Rizzo (Stockard Channing), deliver their wiseacre lines with a fair dose of irony. Vogue, 10 Sep. 2024 Catherine’s rivalry with the bitchy Jessica and her clique of mean-girl ghosts also drives the high-energy plot, and the editing and writing glide through these satirical scenes before pausing for moments of reflection for our leads. Katie Rife, IndieWire, 27 Sep. 2024 Some call the groups — with names like the Jump Out Boys, Vikings, Banditos and Executioners — cliques. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024 In any large organization, there are always smaller cliques, in-groups and out-groups. Francine Russo, Scientific American, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clique 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clique.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clique was in 1711

Dictionary Entries Near clique

Cite this Entry

“Clique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clique. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

clique

noun
: a small group of people who spend time together and are not friendly to other people
cliquey
ˈklē-kē How to pronounce clique (audio)
ˈkli-
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on clique

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