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Enclave comes from French enclaver, meaning "to enclose," which itself is based on the Latin noun clavis, meaning "key." Clavis opened the door to a few other English words, some of which might seem unlikely relatives of enclave. For example, clavicle, the word for the bone that joins the breastbone and the shoulder blade, and the musical sign clef.
Examples of enclave in a Sentence
Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
In 1963, clinical psychologist and pioneering psychedelic drug proponent Timothy Leary rented a huge house on a vast estate in the historic Hudson Valley village of Millbrook, which dates to before the American Revolution and ranks as one of the wealthiest enclaves in the state of New York.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 5 July 2024
Nearly 38,000 have been killed in Gaza in the offensive that followed, health officials in the enclave have said.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 4 July 2024
The Palestinian Authority administers enclaves scattered across the territory, but is barred from operating in 60% of the West Bank, which includes the settlements as well as areas with a population of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
—Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for enclave 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enclave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Enclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enclave. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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enclave
noun
ˈäŋ-
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