clique
Americannoun
-
cliques
plural
verb (used without object)
noun
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
cliquishnessnoun
-
cliquismnoun
-
subcliquenoun
-
cliquelessadjective
-
cliqueyadjective
-
cliquishadjective
-
cliquyadjective
-
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
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Catcher in the Rye
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Bronx Masquerade
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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
“It makes it difficult to simply turn over the regime, because the regime is not just an individual, not just a clique of military officers,” Ostovar said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Independent non-executive chair Chris Train stepped down on Friday after the report described the firm's leadership as an "unaccountable clique".
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
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 ● Mar. 19, 2026
How strange, then, that now I find myself in a clique of one, even when I’m with a group.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
The online version of the Sheriff’s Department’s Manual of Policy and Procedures has already been updated to include its new policy on the cliques.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Within this large group, cliques were formed but they often intermingled and share territory, like something from a simian Pixar film.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
Several male chimps who had bridged cliques within the larger group died from disease, weakening social ties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Most didn’t stay in one place for long but instead formed temporary cliques based on the games they played.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026
Teachers liked to claim that Maybeck didn’t have cliques like other high schools, and it was true that the place was a refuge for kids like Healy who had been bullied in middle school.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
