: 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
And lastly, Beach Village, also operated by LXR Hotels & Resorts, is a luxurious private enclave of 78 beachfront cottages and residential-style villas with up to three bedrooms.
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Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
During the postwar years, though, tens of thousands of white parishioners chose to move to new enclaves in the city and the suburbs as, owing to the Great Migration, the Black population, long sequestered on the South Side, grew and expanded into other neighborhoods.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
While Turkey sees financial and political opportunity in Gaza’s reconstruction, those sources say Erdogan is aware there is little domestic appetite for sending Turkish troops into the enclave.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
All three began with coastal enclaves.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
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Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
During the postwar years, though, tens of thousands of white parishioners chose to move to new enclaves in the city and the suburbs as, owing to the Great Migration, the Black population, long sequestered on the South Side, grew and expanded into other neighborhoods.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
While Turkey sees financial and political opportunity in Gaza’s reconstruction, those sources say Erdogan is aware there is little domestic appetite for sending Turkish troops into the enclave.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
All three began with coastal enclaves.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enclave
Cite this Entry
“Enclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enclave. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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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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