Clique
/kliːk/
Definitions
A small, exclusive group of people who tend to be unfriendly to outsiders.
/kliːk/
A small, exclusive group of people.
The new student found it hard to break into the school clique.
💡 Simply: Imagine a secret club where only certain people are allowed in. That's a clique! They might be a group of friends who only hang out with each other and don't let anyone else join.
👶 For kids: It's like a secret club where only some kids are allowed in.
More Examples
There's a powerful clique within the company that makes all the important decisions.
How It's Used
"The popular clique in high school always sat together at lunch."
"A powerful clique within the party controlled the nominations."
From Middle French *clique, from Old French *cliquer "to click, clack," from Old French *clic, *clicquet, a reduplication of *clic. The modern meaning developed in the 19th century.
While the word's origin is older, its current social meaning solidified in the 19th century, often used to describe groups with political or social power.
Memory tip
Think of the clicking sound of a closed group shutting out others.