List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 71

SYNONYMS: circle, coterie, set, clique.
These nouns denote a group of people sharing an interest or activity.

Circle connotes gravitation around a central point or element: my circle of friends; prominent in financial circles.
Coterie applies to a small, select group of congenial persons: It was a coterie of Wall Street bankers and their friends.
Set suggests a large, loosely bound group, especially of persons of the same social status who have similar interests and tastes: These men constituted the best set in the College.
A clique is an exclusive group, usually social and often participating in activities from which outsiders are barred: Often self-perpetuating cliques control our lives.