enclave
Americannoun
-
enclaves
plural
-
a country, or especially, an outlying portion of a country, entirely or mostly surrounded by the territory of another country.
-
any small, distinct area or group enclosed or isolated within a larger one.
a Chinese-speaking enclave in London.
verb (used with object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of enclave
1865–70; < French, Middle French, noun derivative of enclaver < Vulgar Latin *inclāvāre to lock in, equivalent to Latin in- in- 2 + clāv ( is ) key + -āre infinitive suffix
Compare meaning
How does enclave compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An enclave is a separate space or group within a larger one. Imagine an enclave as a cave carved out of a big mountain. All of the bears live in the cave or enclave, while the people live on the mountainside. Groups of like people often form an enclave within a country or region. There is probably an enclave of Africans, Cubans, Russians, or other ethnic group in or near your hometown. It isn't usually enclosed, but it's a place where people of the same background gather and live together, such as a Chinatown or a Little Budapest. An enclave of a country may have boundaries, making it clear that it's a distinct part — and sometimes under separate government — from the larger territory it's within.
Vocabulary lists containing enclave
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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!
President Obama's Farewell Address
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!
Human Geography - Middle School
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 earlier trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht collapsed after a jury deadlocked on whether or not he was responsible for the Palisades fire that laid waste to the upmarket coastal enclave and nearby Malibu.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
A clash is brewing in the affluent enclave, where homes typically sell for $2 million or more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The Independent continues its coverage of the border crisis at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Most of the immigrants who had poured across the border Thursday and early Friday seemingly left of their own accord, hungry and thirsty after finding no help in the enclave.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
In effect, Mount Vernon became an enclave within enemy territory, surrounded by neighbors committed to a Virginia-writ-large version of the American republic.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The franchise fled further and further from coastal cultural centers, shifting from the “Real World” of New York City and Chicago to the air-conditioned enclaves of New Jersey and the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Other tech leaders are trying to carve out independent enclaves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Spain's Ceuta and Melilla enclaves, which are located in North Africa, represent the European Union's only land border with Africa.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
It’s Friday afternoon in North Hollywood and Ziggy Marley is perched on a stool inside his newly built Rebel Lion Studio, tucked in one of the neighborhood’s creative enclaves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
As true geeks, it was almost a point of pride to avoid one of the trendy enclaves most American kids would kill to get to.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
The stamp cards could also include, for the completists, two cantonal quadripoints, and some space for the curious case of the two Appenzells, formerly a unified canton enclaved within Sankt Gallen.
From New York Times ● May 15, 2012
DUDLEY, a municipal, county and parliamentary borough and market-town of Worcestershire, England, in a portion of that county enclaved in Staffordshire, 8 m.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various
Between this and Dudley lie the great ironworks of Roundoak, and the extensive suburb of Netherton in the enclaved portion of Worcestershire.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various
Further, the writing, though large, is not easily legible, for it is involved, enclaved, and conjointed in a manner sufficiently puzzling to those who see it for the first time.
From Illuminated Manuscripts by John William Bradley
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.
