coterie means A circle of individuals who associate with one another for a common purpose. It carries an Arena rating of 1668, earned across 67 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, coterie ranks #384 of 42,747 for Qualifying, #761 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,086 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,648 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
coterie is pronounced /ˈkəʊtəɹi/.
Why “coterie” is a great word
A small, exclusive group of people united by a common interest or purpose. From French *coterie*, originally referring to an association of tenant farmers, from Medieval Latin *coteria*, from Old French *cotier* ("cottager"). First recorded in English use in 1738. Unlike "clique," which hisses with the venom of snobbery and petty intrigue, or the expansive, benign generality of a "circle," a coterie is defined by a quiet, self-sustaining selectivity. It is the corner table where writers lean in over cold coffee, the walled garden where painters gather with wet brushes, the unmarked door through which musicians disappear. To belong is to hoard understanding like a small, necessary warmth against the indifferent world.
Etymology
Borrowed from French coterie.
noun
- A circle of individuals who associate with one another for a common purpose.e.g.“The new junior employee joined our merry after-hours coterie.”
- A communal burrow of prairie dogs.e.g.“The coterie was located in the middle of our wheat field.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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