What does “clannish” mean?

clannish


Oh, this is a good one —

"Clannish" describes a group of people who stick very close together and don't easily welcome outsiders. Think of a "clan" — a tight family or tribe. "Clannish" comes from that idea.

So imagine you move to a new town and try to make friends, but the locals only hang out with each other and kind of ignore you. You might say, "The people here are so clannish — it's hard to break in."

Or picture a family that only trusts other family members and keeps everyone else at a distance. Someone might say, "They're a clannish bunch — they don't really open up to strangers."

It's not always super mean, but it does have a slightly negative feeling to it.

Basically, clannish = closed off and loyal only to your own little group.

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