exclave
noun
Did you know?
You probably won't be surprised to learn that the key to "exclave" is found in "enclave." "Enclave" itself ultimately derives from the Latin word for "key," which is "clavis." It was adopted in the mid-19th century from Middle French enclaver ("to enclose"), which in turn derives (through Vulgar Latin) from in- and clavis. "Exclave" was formed about twenty years later by combining the prefix ex- and the "-clave" of "enclave." Other "clavis" descendants in English include "autoclave," "clavicle," "conclave," and "clavichord" ("an early keyboard instrument in use before the piano").
Examples of exclave in a Sentence
Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
With the agreement, Armenia will give the United States a 99-year lease on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP, which includes the Zangezur Corridor, located between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan exclave, according to Politico.
—Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2025
The pact on a corridor connecting Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhichevan is also vulnerable.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
Around 7,000 troops are taking part in the exercises, which are being held at locations in Belarus, as well as in Russia's Kaliningrad Baltic exclave and in the Baltic and Barents seas.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exclave
Cite this Entry
“Exclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exclave. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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