in-group

American  

[in-groop] / ˈɪnˌgrup /

Or ingroup

noun

Sociology.

1. a group of people sharing similar interests and attitudes, producing feelings of solidarity, community, and exclusivity.

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in-group British  

noun

1. sociol a highly cohesive and relatively closed social group characterized by the preferential treatment reserved for its members and the strength of loyalty between them Compare out-group

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Etymology

Origin of in-group

First recorded in 1905–10; in- ¹ + group

Example Sentences

“An autocracy needs to create an in-group versus an out-group,” Corrales explained.

From Slate • Jan. 15, 2026

Their goodwill is awkward, as it must be when an in-group member tries to commiserate with “the other,” but it is, nonetheless, sympathy, which is to say concern.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

This suggests that rivalry strengthens in-group bonds and reinforces social identity.

From Science Daily • Nov. 11, 2025

Scapegoats are integral for a cult; they promote social cohesion, both by binding the in-group together over a common enemy, and by widening the gulf between members and outsiders.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025

After slavery came to exist it was extended to other cases, even to some classes of cases in the in-group.

From Folkways A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals by Sumner, William Graham

Related Words

• camp
• class
• clique
• club
• company
• crowd
• fraternity
• party
• ring
• school
• society