clique
Americannoun
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cliques
plural
verb (used without object)
noun
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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cliquishnessnoun
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cliquismnoun
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subcliquenoun
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cliquelessadjective
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cliqueyadjective
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cliquishadjective
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cliquyadjective
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cliquishlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of clique
1705–15; < French, apparently metaphorical use of Middle French clique latch, or noun derivative of cliquer to make noise, resound, imitative word parallel to click 1
Explanation
A clique is an exclusive group of people or friends. Before Rudolph pulled Santa's sled through the fog, the clique of flying reindeer never let him play their reindeer games. In high school, the exclusive nature of cliques causes a lot of hurt feelings. Clique carries this less than nice feeling with it wherever it goes, whether it be a set of elites who surround a government official, a group of popular kids who don't let others join their group or the closed circle of people at the office who always make sure they get the best jobs.
Vocabulary lists containing clique
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The Catcher in the Rye
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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.
See Examples For:
The “Mormon Wives,” a group of women associated with the social media clique known as #MomTok, never neatly fit the internet’s definition of tradwives, either.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
In one of the report's strongest criticisms, the committee said: "A company described by its leadership as having a 'family feel' is perhaps better described as an unaccountable clique."
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
His clique at OpenAI became known as “the pandas.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
Set in a Dallas shopping mall, “Forbidden Fruits” revolves around an elite clique of retail employees who run a witches’ coven out of the basement of their boho boutique Free Eden.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
Some people need a clique to make them feel safe.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Some faculty worried Greek life would fuel a party culture and cliques.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
A cooperating witness — whose name was withheld in court filings — testified that members from multiple cliques gathered in a parking area before walking up a dirt path in the dark.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
In the brutal terrain of female cliques, beauty remains a potent, if unreliable, weapon — one which Amos, her grin a glistening pink, wryly acknowledges and critiques.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026
Our best leaders have helped deliver the progress so far, but all leaders will need to do more as we eradicate the embedded cliques and networks left behind as we clear out the volume.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
There are cliques, disgruntled staff, and the unmistakable scent of anxiety.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
So the thing about Elon Musk is that he’s cliqued up — specifically with the so-called PayPal Mafia.
From The Verge ● Sep. 1, 2022
The Frenchmen are cliqued against him, for Vieuxtemps has arrived, and they mean to maintain his superiority.
From Early Letters of George Wm. Curtis by George Willis Cooke
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
