Refers to an exclusive group bound by shared interests, background, or loyalty, often within politics, business, or institutions. Frequently used as a suffix in compounds like 学閥 (academic clique) or 派閥 (faction).
The kanji 閥 originally referred to a powerful family or clan. In modern Japanese, it has broadened to mean any exclusive group or faction, often with a negative connotation of in-group favoritism.
