Word
clique
US/ˈkɫik/
UK/klˈiːk/
Definitions
01exclusive social group
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a small group of friends or people who stay together and are not friendly to others outside the group.
n. a small, exclusive group of individuals who associate closely and often discourage others from joining. The term typically carries a negative connotation of elitism or social exclusion.
“In high school, the popular kids formed a tight clique that rarely spoke to anyone else.”
“The office environment became toxic when a small clique of senior managers began making decisions during private lunches, excluding the rest of the team.”
Synonyms
02mathematics/computing
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mathematics Technical
n. in math or computer science, a part of a network where every person or point is connected to every other one.
n. a subset of vertices of an undirected graph such that every two distinct vertices in the subset are adjacent.
Español:clica
“The researcher used an algorithm to find the largest clique within the social media network.”
“In graph theory, finding the maximum clique is a classic computational problem that helps identify highly interconnected clusters within complex datasets.”
Usage
Used primarily in the context of graph theory and network analysis.
Synonyms
03internet/webrings
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Computing Informal
n. a group of websites that all link to each other and have strict rules about who can join.
n. a collection of related websites that form an exclusive network by linking to one another, often managed by a single owner who vets new members.
“Before social media, many personal blogs joined a small clique to share traffic with similar sites.”
“The digital artist sought membership in an invite-only web clique to increase the visibility of her portfolio among established peers.”
Teaching tip
This sense is mostly associated with the early era of the personal web and is less common in the age of centralized social platforms.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“She describes her attempts to amplify different parts of herself in search of the right clique.” “Sir Mark also said: "Much more needed to be done to tackle the individuals and cliques whose appalling behaviour continues to let down their colleagues and Londoners".” Etymology
Borrowed from French clique, ultimately of imitative origin. Influenced by "claque", though this may have happened in French rather than in English.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/clique
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0