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
Matchmaking may be old-school, but these days its clientele is skewing younger and more diverse.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
The offices and high-rises that are popping up and bringing in a younger clientele weren’t yet there to block out the sun.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Educated at the University of Pennsylvania and serving an elite clientele from within one of Philadelphia's ritziest suburbs, Lavin grew a modest marijuana distribution operation into a cocaine empire.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Flower designs are popular with older clientele.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clientele
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Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
The offices and high-rises that are popping up and bringing in a younger clientele weren’t yet there to block out the sun.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Educated at the University of Pennsylvania and serving an elite clientele from within one of Philadelphia's ritziest suburbs, Lavin grew a modest marijuana distribution operation into a cocaine empire.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Flower designs are popular with older clientele.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clientele
noun
cli·en·tele
ˌklī-ən-ˈtel
: a group of clients
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