clientele
Americannoun
-
the clients or customers, as of a professional person or shop, considered collectively; a group or body of clients.
This jewelry store has a wealthy clientele.
-
dependents or followers.
noun
Etymology
Origin of clientele
1555–65; < Latin clientēla, equivalent to client- ( see client) + -ēla collective noun suffix; clientele ( def. 1 ) probably < French clientèle < Latin
Explanation
Your customers are your clientele. If you own a pet food store, your clientele might be two-footed and four-pawed. The noun clientele is often preceded by an adjective to describe the exact type of customer. Little boutiques in upscale neighborhoods probably cater to an exclusive clientele, while the kids' hair salon might have Barney on video to keep the young clientele motionless in their chairs. Regardless of business type, you are always trying to please the clientele.
Vocabulary lists containing clientele
Vocabulary from an excerpt from "Confessions of a 30-Year-Old Gamer," by Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates
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Six of Crows
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Canton, painters like Lam Qua headed ateliers devoted to Export art, adapting styles from expatriate artists such as George Chinnery to gain foreign clientele.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
The clientele is mostly cyclists in helmets and spandex-y bike tops and shorts.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
“As digital finance markets attract a growing share of institutional clientele, cyber risk linked to blockchain-based platforms has evolved from a niche risk to one that is mainstream,” Moody’s analysts wrote.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
“Brochures often picture these places as being much more diverse than their clientele is,” he said.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
The McDonald brothers now aimed for a much broader clientele.
From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
