enclave

[ en-kleyv, ahn- ]

/ ˈɛn kleɪv, ˈɑn- /

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See synonyms for: enclave / enclaved / enclaving on Thesaurus.com

noun

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), en·claved, en·clav·ing.

to isolate or enclose (especially territory) within a foreign or uncongenial environment; make an enclave of: The desert enclaved the little settlement.

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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

Words nearby enclave

Encke's comet, Encke's division, encl., en clair, enclasp, enclave, enclitic, enclose, enclosed, enclosed order, enclosure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use enclave in a sentence

Jonathan Conricus, contradicting a statement the night before that a ground assault on the enclave was underway.
Israeli forces hit Hamas tunnels in Gaza as all-out war looms; more rockets rain down|Steve Hendrix, Michael E. Miller, Shira Rubin|May 14, 2021|Washington Post
A half century of relentless land alienation and settlement expansion, with Palestinians increasingly concentrated in fragmented enclaves, has largely achieved this aim.
Israel-Palestine is a State of Permanent Conflict Punctuated by Periodic Carnage. Only the Watching World Can Stop It|Mouin Rabbani|May 13, 2021|Time
Even though nearly a third of the new homes would be subsidized, opponents contend that many of those could go to middle-income households, as opposed to low-income, and say it would amount to another enclave for the affluent.
Inside the housing showdown in D.C.’s Ivy City, where kids have no place to play|Paul Schwartzman|May 7, 2021|Washington Post
Outstanding questions remain over what would happen to the three electoral college votes currently afforded to the District when it becomes a smaller federal enclave.
Will D.C. become a state? Explaining the hurdles to statehood.|Meagan Flynn, Teddy Amenabar|April 22, 2021|Washington Post

For science fiction, try “Moon of the Crusted Snow” by Waubgeshig Rice, the tale of an Anishinaabe community facing an apocalyptic disaster and the outsiders who intrude and endanger the isolated enclave.
The perfect science fiction, fantasy and genre-bending tales for the chilly days ahead|Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Lavie Tidhar|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
Congress is now 92 percent Christian, resembling more to a papal enclave than our religiously diverse nation.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Because Boone is a Democratic enclave thanks in part to the college students.
In North Carolina, GOP Overreach May Be More Unpopular Than Obama|Dean Obeidallah|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In an ultra-Orthodox enclave of upstate New York, a former student has accused a principal of sex acts.
This 'Holy Guy'—and Grandfather of 100—Is Accused of Sexually Abusing a Student|Batya Ungar-Sargon|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bogie and Bacall purchased a $160,000 mansion in Holmby Hills, a posh enclave in Los Angeles, and played house.
Bogie & Bacall: A Hollywood Romance for the Ages|Marlow Stern|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Property worth £350m was unoccupied on The Bishops Avenue, an exclusive street in a north London enclave.
London’s Oligarch Ghost Town|Tom Sykes|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some estates lying to the east of the Jamna and belonging to the United Provinces have recently been added to the enclave.
The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir|Sir James McCrone Douie
The Lado Enclave, however, is governed separately by a special official.
A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State|Marcus Dorman
This tiny "enclave" in French territory presented many advantages over the German Dukedoms.
Marse Henry (Vol. 2)|Henry Watterson
These natives—of the Lado Enclave—were gentleman-like folk, and I parleyed long with them upon their affairs.
My African Journey|Winston Churchill
The Nile province and the Lado Enclave present splendid and alluring panoramas.
My African Journey|Winston Churchill

British Dictionary definitions for enclave

enclave

/ (ˈɛnkleɪv) /

noun

a part of a country entirely surrounded by foreign territory: viewed from the position of the surrounding territoriesCompare exclave

Word Origin for enclave

C19: from French, from Old French enclaver to enclose, from Vulgar Latin inclāvāre (unattested) to lock up, from Latin in- ² + clavis key

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

enclave

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Origin of enclave

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British Dictionary definitions for enclave

Word Origin for enclave