Coterie (6)
I believe the answer is:
clique
'coterie' is the definition.
(I know that coterie can be written as clique)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for clique that I've seen before include "Small exclusive groups of people." , "Group of friends" , "Close-knit exclusive group" , "Exclusive group of people" , "Group hostile to outsiders" .)