in-group

Or in·group

[in-groop]

noun

Sociology.

1. a group of people sharing similar interests and attitudes, producing feelings of solidarity, community, and exclusivity.

in-group

noun

1. sociol a highly cohesive and relatively closed social group characterized by the preferential treatment reserved for its members and the strength of loyalty between them Compare out-group

Word History and Origins

Origin of in-group¹

First recorded in 1905–10; in- ¹ + group

Example Sentences

Scapegoats are integral for a cult; they promote social cohesion, both by binding the in-group together over a common enemy, and by widening the gulf between members and outsiders.

From Salon

So if you decide to exclude someone from a paradigm, you have to change the rules and you have to define who is in the in-group and who is in the out-group.

From Slate

"So, unless we do something about stereotypical judgments and in-group bias, and the many other ways in which unfairness can undermine our workplaces, meritocracy indeed remains a myth."

From Salon

In that worldview, children are expected to "conform to in-group norms, be obedient, be orderly, be disciplined."

From Salon

This linkage makes sense, MacWilliams told Salon, because authoritarianism is all about in-group versus out-group thinking.

From Salon

Related Words

• camp 
• class 
• clique 
• club 
• company 
• crowd 
• fraternity 
• party 
• ring 
• school 
• society