This article is about social groups, for other uses see Clique . A clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, or patterns of behavior. A clique is a subset of individuals from a larger group, who are more closely identified with one another than the remaining members of the group, and who exchange something among themselves, such as friendship, affection, or information. A clique has an informal structure, and it is composed of more than two people. All the members of the group have some type of relationship with one another, and thus the group is tightly knit together as a type of social network. Clique Formation According to some sociologists, one reason for the formation of a clique relates to the desire of individuals to compare themselves with other individuals who are of the same social status. Another word for clique is reference group, or a