clannish C1 Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈklænɪʃ/ UK /ˈklænɪʃ/ See IPA manual Freq #159262 Meanings 1 adj socially exclusive and strongly attached to one's own close group The organization had a clannish culture that made newcomers feel unwelcome. 2 adj characteristic of a clan, especially in showing strong internal loyalty Their clannish loyalty kept the extended family united through the dispute. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · socially exclusive and... cliquishinsularexclusive 2 adj · characteristic of a clan,... tribalclose-knit ↔ Opposites inclusivewelcomingopen Word family Derived forms clannishlyclannishnessunclannish Related forms clancliquetribalism Etymology Formed from clan + -ish. The neutral sense 'characteristic of a clan' developed a frequently critical social sense for groups whose intense internal loyalty excludes outsiders. Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # clannish **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈklænɪʃ/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈklænɪʃ/ **Frequency rank:** 159262 ## Meanings 1. socially exclusive and strongly attached to one's own close group 2. characteristic of a clan, especially in showing strong internal loyalty ## Examples - The organization had a clannish culture that made newcomers feel unwelcome. - Their clannish loyalty kept the extended family united through the dispute. ## Synonyms - cliquish - insular - exclusive - close-knit ## Antonyms - inclusive - welcoming - open ## Derived Forms - clannishly - clannishness - unclannish ## Related Forms - clan - clique - tribalism ## Etymology Formed from clan + -ish. The neutral sense 'characteristic of a clan' developed a frequently critical social sense for groups whose intense internal loyalty excludes outsiders. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown