What does ingroup mean?
An ingroup is a group to which a person belongs or with which the person identifies, while other groups are treated as outsiders. In social psychology, the term often describes the tendency to favor fellow members when assigning trust, resources, or goodwill. The word can also refer more generally to a close-knit circle marked by strong internal loyalty. Its implications depend on context: it may simply describe ordinary solidarity within a family, team, profession, or community, or it may suggest an exclusive clique that resists outsiders. As a result, the term is often discussed in connection with ingroup bias, ingroup identity, and ingroup dynamics. The contrastive word is outgroup, which denotes the group regarded as external to the ingroup. Although understandable in everyday conversation, ingroup is most frequent in academic and analytical writing concerned with group behavior, identity, loyalty, and social division.
nounA group whose members share close ties and distinguish themselves from outsiders, often regarding their own group as superior or as having interests separate from those of other groups.
- A social group whose members share a sense of belonging and distinguish themselves from outsiders.
- The particular group with which a person identifies or to which the person belongs.
- A close-knit or cohesive body of people, especially one marked by loyalty toward its own members.
"The committee developed a strong sense of ingroup loyalty during its years working together."
"His experience on the team gave him a strong sense of ingroup identity."
"The experiment examined whether participants showed ingroup bias when allocating points to fellow members."
The plural is grammatical but comparatively uncommon; the singular form is normally preferred in general writing.
"Different ingroups may develop sharply different standards and loyalties."
An ingroup is defined as much by whom it excludes as by whom it includes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ingroup come from?
The word is formed from the prefix "in-" and the noun "group," expressing membership within a defined social group. The compound is attested in the early 20th century and became especially prominent in social psychology alongside the contrasting term "outgroup." Its development reflects the broader use of English "group" for a set of people connected by shared characteristics or interests, a sense that ultimately derives from Old French groupe.
How ingroup is actually used
The term is most common in social psychology, sociology, and political or organizational discussion. Both "ingroup" and "in-group" occur, but preferred hyphenation varies by style guide. The broader senses can imply a clique or an exclusive group and may carry negative connotations when the group's solidarity is presented as excessive or hostile to outsiders.
Easily confused with ingroup
An ingroup is the group to which a person belongs or identifies, whereas an outgroup is a group regarded as separate from or opposed to it.