From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcliqueclique /kliːk/ noun [countable] GROUP OF PEOPLEa small group of people who think they are special and do not want other people to join them – used to show disapprovalclique of a ruling clique of officials the cliques formed by high school students
Examples from the Corpus
clique• His flat became a haven for a clique of young men of similar tastes whom the war had thrown together in Cairo.• Most of the kids were friendly, apart from a clique of girls who came from rich families.• a clique of literary friends who thought they were so superior• Each clique treated the establishment as its club and took no notice at all of anyone outside the charmed circle.• So, even moderate fame still eluded him, and Nicholson remained unknown outside of a small Hollywood clique.• There was a really heavy little clique, the same ones that ousted the governor.• Admittedly, they went to North Carolina as a fractious team with too many cliques.Origin clique (1700-1800) French cliquer “to make a noise” 