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enclave

UK/ˈɛnkleɪv/US/ˈɑnkleɪv/
nounC1Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,397 of 15,258mostly written

Other forms: enclaves

An enclave is a small area surrounded by different territory. A tiny enclave.

It is used of countries and of neighbourhoods with their own language or trade. An enclave from the other side is an exclave, and one place can be both at once.

Gazilion · CC0

Definitions of enclave

  1. 1nounenclaveA small area surrounded by different territory.C1

    “The enclave had its own post office and no road out.”

enclave is an area.

Where it comes from

French enclave, from enclaver, to shut in, from Latin clavis, a key.

  1. Latin

    clavis — key

  2. Vulgar Latin

    *inclāvāre — to lock in

  3. Old French

    enclaver — to inclose, lock in

  4. Middle French

    enclave — enclave

  5. French

    enclave

  6. English, today

    enclave

Built from

  • enclaver · Middle French — to inclose
  • clavus · Latin — nail, bolt

French enclave, from Middle French enclave (“enclave”), deverbal of enclaver (“to inclose”), from Old French enclaver (“to inclose, lock in”), from Vulgar Latin inclāvāre (“to lock in”), from in + Latin clavis (“key”) or clavus (“nail, bolt”). Compare inlock.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

enclave in the wild

  • In sociology, an ethnic enclave is a geographic area with high ethnic concentration, characteristic cultural identity, and economic activity.

    Ethnic enclave

  • By providing a space for people who share the same ethnic identity to create potentially beneficial relations, ethnic enclaves can assist members in achieving economic mobility.

    Ethnic enclave

  • The Indian mainland contained 71 Bangladeshi enclaves, which in turn contained 3 Indian counter-enclaves.

    India–Bangladesh enclaves

  • A joint census in 2010 found 51,549 people who were residing in these enclaves: 37,334 in Indian enclaves within Bangladesh and 14,215 in Bangladeshi enclaves within India.

    India–Bangladesh enclaves

  • An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity.

    Enclave and exclave

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the clavis family

clefenclaveconclave

enclave — used about once every 54,060 pages · #14,397 · point at the bar for the others