coterie
Americannoun
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a group of people who associate closely.
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an exclusive group; clique.
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a group of prairie dogs occupying a communal burrow.
noun
Synonym Usage
See circle.
Etymology
Origin of coterie
First recorded in 1730–40; from French, Middle French: “an association of tenant farmers,” from Medieval Latin coter(ius) cotter 2 + -ie -y 3
Explanation
Have you noticed how so many of the best TV shows concentrate on a group of friends who seem to mesh together perfectly, to the exclusion of all others? This, then, is a coterie, an exclusive group with common interests. The modern spelling and meaning of coterie developed in the 18th century from a French word rooted in the feudal system. When the farmers working the land of a feudal lord established an organization, they were called cotiers, or "tenants of a cote" (think "cottage"), and that idea of a select group led to the word coterie. There's just something so French about the idea of exclusivity, isn't there?
Vocabulary lists containing coterie
In Cold Blood
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The Fault in Our Stars
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Anna Karenina
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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.
"They had conscience and couldn't observe idly while what they fought for what had been hijacked by Isaias and his coterie," says Ibrahim.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
As the cost of the shows rises, one side effect is that the coterie of Styles die-hards has become even more tightknit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Her “It” girls often keep company with a coterie of tiny monkeys, kittens or creatures with confections for heads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
MetaX Integrated Circuits, the Chinese AI chipmaker and part of a coterie of fast-growing tech stocks known as the “Little Dragons,” enjoyed a wildly successful launch on the Shanghai exchange Wednesday.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 17, 2025
This included business leaders, politicians, and poets, plus a coterie of famous people, from singers to athletes.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
