What does coterie mean?
Word: Coterie
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Coterie means a small, close group of people who share an interest and tend to keep to themselves.
Synonyms: clique
How do you spell coterie?
Syllables: co - te - rie
Tricky part: The word ends in -ie, not -y. Cotery is the usual slip, since the last sound is a plain 'ee'.
Watch out for: cotery, coterey
Memory tip: Two close friends end the word, i and e, standing side by side and refusing to let a y join them.
Coterie in a sentence
Example 1: The writer was surrounded by a coterie of loyal admirers.
Example 2: A coterie of birdwatchers has kept the lake's records for years.
Example 3: Our coach warned the seniors not to become a coterie that left out the juniors.
Fun Fact
The word comes from French, where it first described a group of tenant farmers who held land together. It later came to mean any close little social set.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
A small cotterie of retired teachers meets every Thursday at the village library to swap old books and crossword puzzles.
a) village
b) cotterie
c) retired
d) crossword
Show answer
b) cotterie. Just one t sits between the first two vowels.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
A etrecio of poets met every Sunday in the cafe near Park Street.
a) charity
b) coterie
c) cohort
d) category
Show answer
b) coterie. Cohort has an h and is a letter short, category needs a g, a and y, and charity an h, a and y.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word coterie as used in the sentence:
She belonged to a coterie of young painters who shared one studio.
a) circle
b) stranger
c) gallery
d) rival
Show answer
a) circle. A circle of painters is a set of friends who share the same interest.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. coterie 2. aquaintance 3. fellowship 4. assembly
a) a person you know, but not closely
b) friendship among people with a shared aim
c) a little set of like-minded people
d) a meeting of a large group
Show answer
a) a person you know, but not closely. Acquaintance needs a c before the q; the other three are fine.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. New members often find a coterie hard to join. Why?
a) its meetings are held far from the city
b) its members rarely welcome outsiders
c) its rules are printed in a foreign language
d) its fees are far beyond anyone's reach
Show answer
b) its members rarely welcome outsiders
2. Who could be described as a coterie?
a) everyone queueing at a ticket window
b) five friends who discuss rare stamps
c) the whole crowd at a cricket match
d) all the passengers on a morning train
Show answer
b) five friends who discuss rare stamps
