Did you know?
Enclave comes from French enclaver, meaning "to enclose," which itself is based on the Latin noun clavis, meaning "key." Clavis opened the door to a few other English words, some of which might seem unlikely relatives of enclave. For example, clavicle, the word for the bone that joins the breastbone and the shoulder blade, and the musical sign clef.
Examples of enclave in a Sentence
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
Israel’s bombardment on the Palestinian enclave has destroyed buildings and killed more than 37,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024
Israel said the move aimed to weaken Hamas by cutting it off from tunnels used to smuggle weapons and ammunition into the Palestinian enclave.
—Ruth Marks Eglash, Fox News, 1 June 2024
Only a third of the enclave's hospitals are functioning at all, with those remaining crippled by a lack of fuel to run generators, says Juliette Touma, the communications director for UNRWA, the U.N. agency that delivers aid to Gaza.
—Daniel Wood, NPR, 1 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for enclave 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enclave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enclave
Cite this Entry
“Enclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enclave. Accessed 17 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
enclave
noun
ˈäŋ-
Share