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.
It boasts over $10 million in sales annually, with the clientele including hundreds of Iranian companies and government entities, the filing said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
"You have to focus on the product, the teams, and meeting the expectations of the right clientele."
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
The clientele is mostly cyclists in helmets and spandex-y bike tops and shorts.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
His clientele has flipped upside down, from some of the most refined people in the New York area to some of the seediest.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
“So I suppose you’ve become familiar with our lovely clientele here on the floor. President Armelio is the president.”
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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.
