Standard Lemma guide

clientele

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: [klaɪ.n̩ˈtɛl]
  • Received-Pronunciation: /kliː.ɒnˈtɛl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˌklaɪ.ənˈtɛl/
  • Canada, General-American: [ˌklaɪ.n̩ˈtɛl]
  • Australian: [klɑe.n̩ˈtel]
  • Australian: [kliː.n̩ˈtel]
  • New-Zealand: [klaɪ.n̩ˈtel]
  • New-Zealand: [kliː.n̩ˈtel]
  • CMU ARPABET: K L AY2 AH0 N T EH1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The body or class of people who frequent an establishment or purchase a service, especially when considered as forming a more-or-less homogeneous group of clients in terms of values or habits; a group of specific clients collectively.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • Helen's clientele encompasses a broad range of different ages, races and social statuses.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

customers collectively

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they have an upper class clientele

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: patronage, business

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: people

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French clientèle, ultimately from Latin cliēns (English client).

Across languages

Translations

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: кліенту́ра (klijentúra) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Bulgarian: клиенте́ла (klientéla) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Catalan: clientela — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 客戶群 /客户群 (kèhùqún) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Czech: klientela — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Danish: klientel — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Dutch: klantengroep — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Dutch: klandizie — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Faroese: viðskiftafólk — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Finnish: asiakaskunta — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Finnish: asiakaspiiri — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • French: clientèle — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Galician: clientela — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • German: Klientel — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • German: Kundschaft — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Greek: πελατεία (pelateía) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Haitian Creole: kliyantèl — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Hebrew: קְלִיֶנְטוּרָה \ קליינטורה (klientúra) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Hungarian: vevőkör — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Hungarian: ügyfélkör — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Hungarian: klientéla — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Hungarian: klientúra — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Indonesian: pelanggan — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Italian: clientela — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Japanese: 顧客たち (kokyakutachi) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Kazakh: клиенттер (klientter) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Korean: 고객들 (gogaek-deul) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Luxembourgish: Clientell — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Malay: klientel — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Malay: pelanggan — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Polish: klientela — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Portuguese: clientela — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Portuguese: freguesia — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Russian: клиенту́ра (klijentúra) — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Spanish: clientela — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Spanish: distinguida clientela — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Swedish: kundkrets — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Swedish: klientel — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Turkish: müdavim — body of clients who frequent an establishment
  • Ukrainian: клієнту́ра (klijentúra) — body of clients who frequent an establishment