clannish

C3L1A1N1N1I1S1H4
UK/ˈklæn.ɪʃ/

adjective

Of or related to a clan.

Similar
clannyjointcliquishclubbysnobbishsnobbyprivate
OriginEnglish clan ← Scottish Gaelic clann ← Middle Irish clann →
RareScrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adjectiveclannish (comparative more clannish, superlative most clannish)

comparative more clannish · superlative most clannish

  1. Of or related to a clan.
  2. Socially exclusive.

    Gendrot describes a “clannish” system that ensures officers close ranks to protect their own, leading to a sense of impunity.

    2020 September 3, Kim Willsher, “French reporter who joined police exposes racism and violence”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

    Synonyms: clanny

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveSocially exclusive.

Similar
clanny

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivecharacteristic of a clan especially in being unified

Similar
joint

adjectivebefitting or characteristic of those who incline to social exclusiveness and who rebuff the advances of people considered inferior

Similar
cliquishclubbysnobbishsnobbyprivate
Also see
cliquishclubbyjointprivatesnobbishsnobby

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pleth₂-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pel-?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₂-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*pléh₂-n̥t-eh₂
  5. Proto-Italic*plāntā?
  6. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₂k-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*pl̥h₂nk /*gteh₂
  8. Proto-Italic*plānktā
  9. Latinplanta
  10. Old Welshplant
  11. Old Irishcland
  12. Middle Irishclann
  13. Irishclann
  14. Middle Irishclann
  15. Scottish Gaelicclann
  16. Englishclan
  17. Englishclannish

From clan + -ish.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan clànic
  • clànicof or related to a clan
Finnish klaani-
  • klaani-of or related to a clan
French clanique
  • claniqueof or related to a clan
Polish klanowy
  • klanowyof or related to a clan
Russian кла́новый
  • кла́новый (klánovyj)of or related to a clan

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with clannish

spanishvanishbanishfannishmannishannishslannishunfannish
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

clannish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clannish

MLA

“clannish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clannish. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clannish,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clannish.

Source: clannish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.