clientele
noun
cli·en·tele
ˌklī-ən-ˈtel 
ˌklē-ən-
also ˌklē-ˌän-
: a body of clients
a shop that caters to an exclusive clientele
Examples of clientele in a Sentence
… Gottfried had been complaining for months that our local clientele didn't have the class to appreciate the house.
—
Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003
The lunchtime clientele at TJ's was polymorphous as usual, as at District Court, though there was a higher percentage of respectable clients here—local business folk having lunch at one of the last downtown bars that served decent food but wasn't fancy.
—Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999
The collections shown last month not only had plenty of clothes for the couture clientele to choose from, but, even more importantly, they were loaded with multiple messages for the fashion community at large.
—Carrie Donovan, New York Times Magazine, 21 Feb. 1988
According to the State Department in-jokes, this was the most exclusive place in Washington. For its clientele was made up almost entirely of CIA and KGB agents watching one another watching other people.
—Erich Segal, The Class, (1985) 1986
The restaurant generally attracts an older clientele.
Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003
The lunchtime clientele at TJ's was polymorphous as usual, as at District Court, though there was a higher percentage of respectable clients here—local business folk having lunch at one of the last downtown bars that served decent food but wasn't fancy.
—Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999
The collections shown last month not only had plenty of clothes for the couture clientele to choose from, but, even more importantly, they were loaded with multiple messages for the fashion community at large.
—Carrie Donovan, New York Times Magazine, 21 Feb. 1988
According to the State Department in-jokes, this was the most exclusive place in Washington. For its clientele was made up almost entirely of CIA and KGB agents watching one another watching other people.
—Erich Segal, The Class, (1985) 1986
The restaurant generally attracts an older clientele.
Recent Examples on the Web
Because of its proximity to the mosque, many don’t realize that 50% of the pantry’s clientele is non-Muslim.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Older adults make up about half of the restaurant’s clientele, Tipston said, and some customers told her the regular menu was a stretch for their budgets.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Now in her third season at the fashion house, Burton has cemented her vision for Givenchy, encompassing all the sartorial needs of her clientele.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
By the mid 20th century, Mar del Plata had lost some of its luster as economic turmoil and glitzier new rivals, like Uruguay’s Punta del Este, pulled its elite clientele elsewhere.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clientele
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Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Older adults make up about half of the restaurant’s clientele, Tipston said, and some customers told her the regular menu was a stretch for their budgets.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Now in her third season at the fashion house, Burton has cemented her vision for Givenchy, encompassing all the sartorial needs of her clientele.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
By the mid 20th century, Mar del Plata had lost some of its luster as economic turmoil and glitzier new rivals, like Uruguay’s Punta del Este, pulled its elite clientele elsewhere.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clientele
Cite this Entry
“Clientele.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clientele. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clientele
noun
cli·en·tele
ˌklī-ən-ˈtel
: a group of clients
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