clannish

adjective

clan·​nish ˈkla-nish 

1

: of or relating to a clan

clannish traditions

2

: tending to associate only with a select group of similar background or status

a clannish community

clannishly adverb

clannishness noun

Synonyms of clannish

• cliquish
• friendly
• close-knit
• cliquey
• familiar

Examples of clannish in a Sentence

The college faculty can be pretty clannish, so it's difficult to be an outsider there.

a clannish family that can be rather cool to outsiders

Recent Examples on the Web

Musk’s companies have always been financially linked to one another in a clannish sort of way, but the reality is: All these AI startups and companies are investing in and selling to one another. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026

Jews, because human beings are and always will be clannish. —David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025

This sort of soft, clannish corruption is not a coat of paint that can be stripped from the protectionist architecture; the dysfunction infests the very foundations of it. —David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025

Ambassadorships are often awarded to loyalists and supporters, but this appointment looks particularly clannish. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clannish

• banish
• mannish
• spanish
• vanish

Kids Definition

clannish

adjective

clan·​nish ˈklan-ish 

: tending to associate only with a group of persons like oneself

clannishness noun