First Known Use: circa 1587
Dictionary
clientele
noun cli·en·tele \ˌklī-ən-ˈtel, ˌklē-ən- also ˌklē-ˌän-\
: the group of people who are regular customers at a particular business
Full Definition of CLIENTELE
: a body of clients <a shop that caters to an exclusive clientele>
See clientele defined for English-language learners
See clientele defined for kids
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Examples of CLIENTELE
- … Gottfried had been complaining for months that our local clientele didn't have the class to appreciate the house. —Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003
- The lunchtime clientele at TJ's was polymorphous as usual, as at District Court, though there was a higher percentage of respectable clients here—local business folk having lunch at one of the last downtown bars that served decent food but wasn't fancy. —Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999
- The collections shown last month not only had plenty of clothes for the couture clientele to choose from, but, even more importantly, they were loaded with multiple messages for the fashion community at large. —Carrie Donovan, New York Times Magazine, 21 Feb. 1988
- According to the State Department in-jokes, this was the most exclusive place in Washington. For its clientele was made up almost entirely of CIA and KGB agents watching one another watching other people. —Erich Segal, The Class, (1985) 1986
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Origin of CLIENTELE
French clientèle, from Latin clientela, from client-, cliens (see client)
Other Business Terms
Rhymes with CLIENTELE
APL, Appenzell, aquarelle, asphodel, Azazel, bagatelle, barbicel, béchamel, brocatelle, Camberwell, caramel, caravel, carousel, cascabel, chanterelle, chaparral, Charles Martel, citadel, cockleshell, Cozumel, decibel, demoiselle, diving bell, fare-thee-well, fontanel, immortelle, Jezebel, killer cell, kiss-and-tell, lenticel, mangonel, muscatel, ne'er-do-well, Neuchâtel, Neufchâtel, New Rochelle, nonpareil, organelle, oversell, parallel, pedicel, pennoncel, personnel, petronel, Philomel, pimpernel, rebel yell, red blood cell, Sanctus bell, San Rafael, São Miguel, show-and-tell, sickle cell, silver bell, solar cell, tortoiseshell, undersell, villanelle, white blood cell, William Tell, zinfandel
CLIENTELE Defined for Kids
clientele
noun cli·en·tele \ˌklī-ən-ˈtel\
Definition of CLIENTELE for Kids
: a group of clients
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Next Word in the Dictionary: clientelismPrevious Word in the Dictionary: clientAll Words Near: clientele
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