cliquish

[ klee-kish, klik-ish ]

adjective

1. associating exclusively with the members of one's own clique; clannish.
2. tending to divide into cliques:

   a cliquish neighborhood.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of a clique:

   narrow, cliquish notions about art.

Other Words From

• cliquish·ly adverb
• cliquish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cliquish¹

First recorded in 1850–55; clique + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

It’s a very cliquish environment and everybody kind of knows everybody.

From Washington Blade

They set up a society that feels like high school on speed—oppressive and cliquish, only way more so.

From The Daily Beast

But I would rather see the inevitable mistakes made by a democratic rather than a cliquish system of voting.

From The Daily Beast

Any system, in fact, which involves “double election” tends to make the body concerned hidebound and cliquish.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• absolute
• chic
• exclusionary
• fashionable
• licensed
• limited
• posh
• private
• privileged
• restrictive
• ritzy
• segregated
• sole
• swank
• unique