clique
clique — noun
1. a tightly connected social circle whose members keep mostly to themselves and ma
a tightly connected social circle whose members keep mostly to themselves and make it difficult for outsiders to join
During her first week at school, Aiko realised she could not join the popular clique.
adjective + clique describing social exclusivity
At the office, a clique of senior staff ate lunch and never invited anyone else.
clique of + plural noun group
Ravi felt left out because the clique in his class only talked among themselves.
A small clique of wealthy families ran the town's social events for years.
Theo warned his sister that the dance group had become an unfriendly clique.
- circle
neutral; simply describes a social group without implying exclusivity
- inner circle
suggests privilege and closeness to a powerful person, often less negative than clique
- cabal
stronger negative connotation; implies secrecy and plotting, usually political
- gang
implies strong loyalty and often territorial or criminal behaviour, not social exclusion
- open group
a set of people that welcomes new members freely
文法句型
clique + of + plural noun (a clique of friends)
adjective + clique (an exclusive clique)
用法筆記
Commonly carries a negative connotation, suggesting the group deliberately excludes non-members. Neutral synonyms like 'group' or 'circle' are safer for positive or neutral descriptions.