clique
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- cliqueless adjective
- cliquey adjective
- cliquish adjective
- cliquishly adverb
- cliquishness noun
- cliquism noun
- cliquy adjective
- subclique noun
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
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.
The review revealed there were two main "cliques'" operating in the unit, engaging in tit-for-tat reporting of each other's behaviours.
From BBC
Most didn’t stay in one place for long but instead formed temporary cliques based on the games they played.
From Los Angeles Times
But she said the changing dynamic of the group, which reportedly includes several other celebrities, ended up reminding her of high school cliques and left her feeling "frozen out" at a vulnerable time.
From BBC
There are at least 14 known subsets, or “cliques,” with names such as Ballista Street, Blackwood Street, Northam Street and Dial Avenue, taken from areas where leaders live.
From Los Angeles Times
In Los Angeles, she had a close-knit circle of friends called the "Kitties", according to Marquez, which was a clique of mostly female friends who liked to throw parties - attended by celebrities.
From BBC
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.
