in-group

noun

1
: a group with which one feels a sense of solidarity or community of interests compare out-group
2
: clique

Examples of in-group in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Philosophers including Plato and Descartes largely dismissed laughter and suggested people used humor primarily to establish superiority or in-group status, by making jokes at others’ expense. Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025 They are left wielding the tools of instrumentality: in-groups and cliques, buying effort through more money, coercive employment agreements and suits against whistleblowers. Dave Winsborough, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025 With slow turnover and in-group bias, 41% of global directors say their boards have added functional experts beyond CEO or CFO, with 74% stating their business strategy requires a board with additional expertise and/or perspectives. Toby Wong, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 This not only reinforces in-group loyalty but also frames outsiders as threats. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025 Psychologists call these categories in-groups and out-groups. Julia Standefer, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2025 Tattoos can connote in-group belonging or membership to a subculture. Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025 In the right-wing nationalist movement that Trump leads, gutter antisemitism is often considered a cheeky transgression and a sign of in-group belonging. Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 1 May 2025 Democrats have moved in the opposite direction during that time, Gallup found — pointing at the role in-group conversations play in driving support for or opposition to climate action. Saul Elbein, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of in-group was in 1907

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Cite this Entry

“In-group.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in-group. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

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