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Synonyms

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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of in-group

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“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

"So, unless we do something about stereotypical judgments and in-group bias, and the many other ways in which unfairness can undermine our workplaces, meritocracy indeed remains a myth."

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025

Hence the double interest of harmony and coöperation in the in-group and war strength against the out-groups forces the invention of devices by which to supersede blood revenge in the in-group.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.