Characterized by forming or favoring cliques; exclusive and unwelcoming to outsiders.
From 'clique' + '-y' (adjective-forming suffix). A 20th-century formation reflecting the prevalence of cliques in modern social settings.
We add '-y' to nouns almost instinctively to make adjectives (cloudy, muddy, cliquey)—so 'cliquey' feels natural even though 'cliquish' is the more formal version.
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