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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Aside from being part of the salon decor, the sculpture’s purpose, Ingram explained, is to introduce Vero’s service to his clientele. — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Average fine art spending for Gen Z respondents also jumped a whopping 19% in a year to $347,460, which is much higher than the average spend among the bank’s wider high-net-worth clientele at $124,265. — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Based on the size of transactions, profile of clientele as well as peer input, this list honors the premier attorneys behind the year’s biggest defining moves in music. — Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

The walls are decorated in eye-catching oil paintings of enigmatic, forlorn individuals who compose themselves in much the same manner as the café’s real clientele. — James Marsh, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French clientèle, from Latin clientela, from client-, cliens — see client

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for clientele

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

clientele

noun

cli·​en·​tele ˌklī-ən-ˈtel 

: a group of clients