in-group

noun

1
: a group with which one feels a sense of solidarity or community of interests compare out-group
2
: clique

Examples of in-group in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Philosophers including Plato and Descartes largely dismissed laughter and suggested people used humor primarily to establish superiority or in-group status, by making jokes at others’ expense. Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025 They are left wielding the tools of instrumentality: in-groups and cliques, buying effort through more money, coercive employment agreements and suits against whistleblowers. Dave Winsborough, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025 Tattoos can connote in-group belonging or membership to a subculture. Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025 In the right-wing nationalist movement that Trump leads, gutter antisemitism is often considered a cheeky transgression and a sign of in-group belonging. Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 1 May 2025 Democrats have moved in the opposite direction during that time, Gallup found — pointing at the role in-group conversations play in driving support for or opposition to climate action. Saul Elbein, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025 Psychologists call these categories in-groups and out-groups. Julia Standefer, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of in-group was in 1907

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Cite this Entry

“In-group.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in-group. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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