Plural of clique; multiple small groups of people who exclude outsiders and socialize only with each other.
From French 'clique,' possibly from 'cliquer' meaning 'to click.' Used in English since the 1700s to describe exclusive social groups.
High schools are basically clique laboratories—they're the first place many people experience how humans naturally form in-groups. The universality of cliques across cultures suggests it's a deep social instinct.
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