: a distinct territorial, cultural, or social unit enclosed within or as if within foreign territory
ethnic enclaves
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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
Recent Examples on the Web
Conservatives have long viewed universities as radical enclaves.
—
Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The detainees were brought back to Gaza on buses, where they were met by large crowds at Nasser hospital in the southern part of the enclave.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
Israel also agreed to withdraw to control roughly half of the enclave, and release 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans who were detained after the attacks on October 7, 2023.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Destexhe believes the solution to MSF’s bias problem in Gaza is for the organization to leave the enclave.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enclave
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Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The detainees were brought back to Gaza on buses, where they were met by large crowds at Nasser hospital in the southern part of the enclave.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
Israel also agreed to withdraw to control roughly half of the enclave, and release 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans who were detained after the attacks on October 7, 2023.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Destexhe believes the solution to MSF’s bias problem in Gaza is for the organization to leave the enclave.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enclave
Cite this Entry
“Enclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enclave. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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Medical Definition
enclave
noun
en·clave
ˈen-ˌklāv; ˈän-ˌklāv 
ˈäŋ-
ˈäŋ-
-ˌkläv
: something enclosed in an organ or tissue but not a continuous part of it
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