VOOZH about

URL: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clientele

⇱ CLIENTELE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster


clientele

noun

cli·​en·​tele ˌklī-ən-ˈtel 👁 How to pronounce clientele (audio)
ˌklē-ən-
also ˌklē-ˌän-
: a body of clients
a shop that caters to an exclusive clientele

Examples of clientele in a Sentence

… Gottfried had been complaining for months that our local clientele didn't have the class to appreciate the house. 👁 Image
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. 👁 Image
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. 👁 Image
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. 👁 Image
Erich Segal
, The Class, (1985) 1986
The restaurant generally attracts an older clientele.
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.
Flower designs are popular with older clientele. 👁 Image
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026
That intimacy has drawn a reliable clientele that finds the scale of the city’s other palace hotels too imposing and impractical. 👁 Image
Lindsey Tramuta, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2026
Marisa Meltzer visits with Jean-Claude and Anne-Marie Colban, the siblings who run the business and dress its discerning clientele. 👁 Image
Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 24 Mar. 2026
Nelson identifies with his clientele. 👁 Image
Mark Davis, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clientele

Word History

Etymology

French clientèle, from Latin clientela, from client-, cliens — see client

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clientele was in 1570

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clientele.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clientele. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

: a group of clients

More from Merriam-Webster on clientele

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

More from Merriam-Webster