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- ( 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.
But Darden’s scale and comparatively upscale clientele should give it a leg up.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
"The Chinese segment has improved rather well, with a local Chinese clientele that registered solid growth in the first quarter," said Cabanis.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
The park has courted a local clientele, with Saudi citizens and residents representing 95% of visitors so far, according to a person close to the project.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
“These defendants allegedly fabricated documents, staged bogus equipment to pass audit inventories, and used a pass-through company to conceal their misconduct and true clientele list,” federal prosecutors said.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
The industry has kept prices down in part by buying bigger ships, the better to accommodate a broader clientele.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
