clique

American

[kleek, klik] / klik, klɪk /

noun

a small, exclusive group of people; coterie; set.

verb (used without object)

cliqued, cliquing

Informal. to form, or associate in, a clique.

clique British

/ klɪk, kliːk /

noun

a small, exclusive group of friends or associates

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See circle, ring ¹.

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.

But he brings out the idiosyncratic joys of the Mets roster—even its counterrevolutionary cliques.

From The Wall Street Journal

Our clique comes storming down the mall food court in that classic slow-motion strut, letting us know right away what we’re in for.

From Los Angeles Times

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

How all this might impact #MomTok — the power of their clique to withstand the various in-fighting and drama has become a perennial concern each season — is already playing out in the headlines.

From Los Angeles Times

But the standout character is "queen bee" Regina, head of the Plastics clique and the meanest of the mean girls.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023