inner circle vs clique

inner circle and clique both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
inner circle	Yes	No	No	No
clique	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, inner circle and clique are synonyms defined as:

inner circle and clique: an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose

Other synonyms of inner circle include camp, coterie, ingroup, pack.

inner circle (noun)	clique (noun)
an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose	an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose