elite

1 of 3

noun

1
a
singular or plural in construction : the choice part : cream
the elite of the entertainment world
b
singular or plural in construction : the best of a class
superachievers who dominate the computer eliteMarilyn Chase
c
singular or plural in construction : the socially superior part of society
how the French-speaking elite … was changingEconomist
d
: a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence
members of the ruling elite
e
: a member of such an elite
usually used in plural
the elites …, pursuing their studies in EuropeRobert Wernick
2
: a typewriter type providing 12 characters to the linear inch

elite

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, serving, or being part of an elite
seeking to attain elite status
an elite group
an elite institution/school
often : superior in quality, rank, skill, etc.
an elite performer
an elite athlete
an athlete with elite skills
The elite chess players of today are of no school. They hail from all over the world … Garry Kasparov

élite, élitism

3 of 3

chiefly British spellings of , elitism

Examples of elite in a Sentence

Noun the winners of this science award represent the elite of our high schools the country's elite owned or controlled most of the wealth
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Turchin believes that violent outbreaks occur every 50 years, allowing enough time to pass for elites to forget about the consequences of rising greed and instability. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024 And yet Griffin had no qualms in recommending that his followers ‘get out and vote for George Galloway’ and ‘stick two fingers up to the rotten political elite and their fake news media cronies’. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 11 Mar. 2024 Powerful voices like Orlov’s are becoming a rarity in Russia, where high-profile opponents to President Vladimir Putin and his ruling elite are now mostly either in exile, in prison, or dead. Clare Sebastian, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 But parliamentary elections remain important as indicators of public sentiment, which in this case has soured on the ruling clerical and military elite and the system as a whole, analysts say. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Putin has made clear that Russia is fighting a permanent background war with the West, which gives him both an ideological raison d’être and a way for his ruling elite to maintain power. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024 The Bronze Age followed, rife with social stratification, warrior elites and feuding states. Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 The superstar put his talent to the test years ago on a dare from one of Hollywood’s elite, according to the musician himself. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Hawaii has long been a place where the world's elite has flocked. Dara Kerr, NPR, 28 Feb. 2024
Adjective
At elite universities, research shows, the Black population consists disproportionately of immigrants and children of immigrants rather than students whose ancestors were enslaved here. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 And for some of these elite offerings, so many people want in, there’s even a waiting list. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 Indeed, as the billionaire boss pointed out, those at elite institutions like Stanford probably have higher expectations for their future than your average Joe. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Pairing Wilkins with Maxx Crosby gives the Raiders a formidable front in a division featuring elite quarterbacks in Kansas City and with the Chargers. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Despite not being an official major, The Players attracts an elite field and offers the largest purse of any regular-season PGA Tour tournament – including last year’s majors – at $25 million, with the champion claiming a $4.5 million share. Sam Joseph, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Blowups at literary journals are not the most pressing news of the day, but the incident at Guernica reveals the extent to which elite American literary outlets may now be beholden to the narrowest polemical and moralistic approaches to literature. Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 After securing the necessary intel, the Kid goes undercover as a dishwasher and then waiter at an elite club run by ruthless manager Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar) and frequented by the most powerful people in Yatana, including Rana (Sikandar Kher), the police officer who killed his mother. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The artillery unit was lauded as an elite battalion when formed for last summer’s counteroffensive, which was stopped by Russian defenses choked with mines. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French élite, from Old French eslite, from feminine of eslit, past participle of eslire to choose, from Latin eligere

First Known Use

Noun

1738, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1808, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of elite was in 1738

Dictionary Entries Near elite

Cite this Entry

“Elite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elite. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

elite

noun
1
: the part or group having the highest quality or importance
2
: a small powerful group of people
elite adjective

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