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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
Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Gazans fleeing combat and bombardment from elsewhere in the enclave have created a sprawling tent city running from Rafah to the Mediterranean seafront — a formerly empty quarter lacking electricity and water and sewer lines.
—Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near enclave
Cite this Entry
“Enclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enclave. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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enclave
noun
ˈäŋ-
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