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.

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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

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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

As each story revolves around the perils and power of racial or clannish identity, their sequels would naturally call for advances in inclusion of all kinds.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2022

“That thing where ya break out of your own clannish mentality ta do somethin’ for someone else!”

From New York Times • May 22, 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

Indeed, the story of how soccer escaped its gritty, clannish, working-class roots and became an enormous global industry is a central cultural and economic parable of our time.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 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