Clique

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kliːk/

Definitions

1. A small exclusive group of people who associate closely with one another and tend to exclude others from their circle
2. A small, select group of individuals who frequently connect with one another and often maintain boundaries that limit outside association
3. A tightly-knit group of individuals who regularly interact and form strong bonds while often excluding those not part of their circle

Etymology: The French word "clique" once described a hired claque: a group of people paid to applaud or boo at the theatre. It came from "cliquer", "to clap", and the verb itself sounds like the noise it names, so the word began as a sound-picture before it described any group of people. Over time the sense shifted from that paid audience to any exclusive circle of people who gather together. The English noun took on this social meaning, and the verb and a proper noun were later formed from it. The original theatrical sense survives only in archaic or obsolete use, so the modern meaning of a small, closed set of friends or associates is the one most readers meet today.

Synonyms: group, circle, faction, set, band

Antonyms: individual, outsider, loner, maverick, rebel