clannish

American  

[klan-ish] / ˈklæn ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a clan.

2. inclined to associate exclusively with the members of one's own group; cliquish.

   the clannish behavior of the original members of the country club.

   Synonyms:

   narrow, aloof, distant, snobbish, exclusive

3. imbued with or influenced by the sentiments, prejudices, or the like, of a clan.

---

clannish British  

/ ˈklænɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of a clan

2. tending to associate closely within a limited group to the exclusion of outsiders; cliquish

---

Other Word Forms

• clannishly adverb
• clannishness noun
• unclannish adjective
• unclannishly adverb
• unclannishness noun

Etymology

Origin of clannish

First recorded in 1770–80; clan + -ish ¹

Explanation

Clannish people prefer their own exclusive groups and aren't interested in outsiders. Because his red nose made him different, the clannish reindeer refused to let Rudolph join their games. When you're new in school, it can feel pretty clannish, with established cliques that don't seem very welcoming to someone who's unfamiliar. Many groups behave in clannish ways, including some families, ethnic groups, religions, and even the theater kids at a high school. It's too bad, because it means they mainly hang out with people just like themselves and aren't exposed to new people and ideas. This adjective comes from clan, originally a Scottish tribe or family.

Example Sentences

The model relies on a dramatic shift in relations among officers and prisoners, two historically warring factions in a system built on clannish gamesmanship for survival.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2024

O’Hanley compared the home’s current vibe to “Animal House”: “We’re quite clannish in that regard, but it’s not deliberate — it just seems to shake out that way.”

From New York Times • Oct. 4, 2022

The characters in this movie — as in a lot of Farr’s other scripts — are clannish, and fiercely protective of their own territory.

From The Verge • Mar. 29, 2019

Beatles people, even for how voluminous their number is, can be clannish.

From Salon • Jul. 7, 2018

All Hobbits were, in any case, clannish and reckoned up their relationships with great care.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien