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Added 10 October 2026

enclave

/ˈɛnkleɪv/ noun

Latin root: clavis Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about enclave at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An enclosed territory that is culturally distinct from the foreign territory that surrounds it.

Origin

Borrowed from 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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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