clique

noun

ˈklik 

also

ˈklēk 

: a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons

especially : one held together by common interests, views, or purposes

high school cliques

cliquey

ˈkli-kē 

also

ˈklē- 

adjective

cliquish

ˈkli-kish 

adjective

cliquishly adverb

cliquishness noun

Synonyms

• crowd
• community
• bunch
• network
• circle
• gang
• pack
• clan
• coterie
• coven

Examples of clique in a Sentence

that clique refuses to even talk to outsiders at their lunch table

Recent Examples on the Web

The big story For years now, India's auto market has been a cozy little clique of Japanese, Korean and Indian companies, with the top six carmakers holding more than 90% of the market, catering to local consumers' mostly utilitarian preferences. —Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025

At the Dallas Street property, small cliques of armed men, mostly Venezuelans and Mexicans, fought an ongoing turf war. —Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

The Constitutional Court’s ruling on Friday represents another wave on the turbulent rapids of Thai politics, in which those pushing for change have frequently run foul of the establishment – a small but powerful clique of military, royalist and business elites. —Helen Regan, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025

And there's hierarchy and cliques and clubs and all these different things. —H. Alan Scott jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for clique

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek
• leak

Kids Definition

clique

noun

ˈklēk  ˈklik 

: a small group of people who spend time together and are not friendly to other people

cliquey

ˈklē-kē 

ˈkli-

adjective