Word
enclave
Phoneticsen·clave, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɑnˌkɫeɪv/
UK/ˈɛnkleɪv/
Definitions
01territory
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a piece of land or a country that is entirely surrounded by the territory of another country.
n. a portion of territory within or surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or politically distinct.
“The small mountain village is a political enclave surrounded by a different nation.”
“The treaty established the coastal town as a sovereign enclave, ensuring its administrative independence despite being entirely encircled by the neighbouring state.”
Synonyms
02computing
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Computing Technical
n. a protected area in a computer's memory that other programs cannot see or change.
n. a secure, isolated portion of an application's address space that protects sensitive data from unauthorized access by other processes.
“The software stores your passwords in a secure enclave to keep them safe from hackers.”
“The processor architecture uses hardware-based enclaves to ensure that even if the operating system is compromised, the encryption keys remain inaccessible.”
03to surround
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Technical
v. to make a piece of land or a group entirely surrounded by something else.
v. to enclose a territory or group within a foreign or distinct environment.
“The new borders will enclave the small town within the neighboring province.”
“The geopolitical shifts following the war served to enclave several ethnic minorities, creating complex administrative challenges for the new government.”
Usage
Often followed by the preposition 'of' to describe the contents or character of the area.
Real-World Examples
“Morocco has added barbed wire and more police near Spain’s Ceuta enclave after online calls for another mass crossing.” “This weekend, Mohammed wants to travel from Morocco to the neighbouring Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the northern tip of Africa.” Etymology
Borrowed from French enclave, from Middle French enclave (“enclave”), deverbal of enclaver (“to inclose”), from Old French enclaver (“to inclose, lock in”), from Vulgar Latin *inclāvāre (“to lock in”), from in + Latin clavis (“key”) or clavus (“nail, bolt”). Compare inlock.
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
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englishreference.com/q/enclave