Clique
/kliːk/noun
A small, exclusive group of people who spend time together and often exclude others.
Did you know?Clique entered English from French, where it originally meant a group that “clacked” or “clicked” together, and its deeper roots are tied to an old sound-word for striking or knocking.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*klak-
“to make a sharp sound; to strike or knock”
Old French
Old French
clique
“a clique, faction, or group with a common purpose”
Middle French
French
clique
“a small group, faction, or set of people”
18th Century
English
clique
“a small exclusive party or faction”
Modern English
English
clique
“an exclusive, tightly knit social group”