If you describe a group of people as clannish, you mean that they often spend time together and may seem unfriendly to other people who are not in the group.
[informal]
They were a clannish lot, not given to welcoming strangers.
Synonyms: cliquish, select, narrow, exclusive More Synonyms of clannish
clannish in British English
(ˈklænɪʃ)
adjective
1.
of or characteristic of a clan
2.
tending to associate closely within a limited group to the exclusion of outsiders; cliquish
Derived forms
clannishly (ˈclannishly)
adverb
clannishness (ˈclannishness)
noun
clannish in American English
(ˈklænɪʃ)
adjective
1.
of a clan
2.
tending to associate closely with one's own group and to avoid others
Derived forms
clannishly (ˈclannishly)
adverb
clannishness (ˈclannishness)
noun
Examples of 'clannish' in a sentence
clannish
Film units were a clannish lot, not given to welcoming strangers.
Hinxman, Margaret THE SOUND OF MURDER (2004)
(adjective)
Definition
(of a group) tending to exclude outsiders
People can be clannish and cruel in their exclusion of others who are `different'.
Synonyms
cliquish
select
a meeting of a very select club
narrow
She achieved a fame that transcended the narrow world of avant-garde theatre.
exclusive
He is a member of Britain's most exclusive club.
sectarian
sectarian religious groups
unfriendly
insular
The old image of the insular Brit is slowly starting to change.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of exclusive
Definition
used or lived in by a privileged minority, esp. a fashionable clique
He is a member of Britain's most exclusive club.
Synonyms
select,
fashionable,
stylish,
private,
limited,
choice,
narrow,
closed,
restricted,
elegant,
posh (informal, British),
chic,
selfish,
classy (slang),
restrictive,
aristocratic,
high-class,
swish (informal, British),
up-market,
snobbish,
top-drawer,
ritzy (slang),
high-toned,
clannish,
discriminative,
cliquish
in the sense of insular
Definition
not open to change or new ideas
The old image of the insular Brit is slowly starting to change.
Synonyms
narrow-minded,
prejudiced,
provincial,
closed,
limited,
narrow,
petty,
parochial,
blinkered,
circumscribed,
inward-looking,
illiberal,
parish-pump
in the sense of narrow
Definition
limited in range, extent, or outlook
She achieved a fame that transcended the narrow world of avant-garde theatre.