elite
Americannoun
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(used with a plural verb) the choicest or best of anything considered collectively, especially of a group or class of people.
The elite of the contemporary art scene were all represented at the gallery.
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(used with a plural verb)
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people of the highest financial or social level of society.
Only the elite received invites to the event.
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a group of people exercising the major share of authority or influence within a larger group.
The scandal involved most members of the political party's power elite.
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a member of a group of people who have a great deal of power, influence, or social capital.
The elites don't care about ordinary people's problems.
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a type, widely used in typewriters, that is approximately 10-point in size and has 12 characters to the inch.
adjective
noun
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(sometimes functioning as plural) the most powerful, rich, gifted, or educated members of a group, community, etc
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Also called: twelve pitch. a typewriter typesize having 12 characters to the inch
adjective
Other Word Forms
- antielite noun
- nonelite noun
- superelite noun
Etymology
Origin of elite
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English elit “a person elected to office,” from Middle French e(s)lit, past participle of e(s)lire “to choose”; elect
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Gobi March had drawn elite, savvy ultrarunners from around the globe who’d been preparing for this race for years, and I wasn’t going to be able to just drop them like regular marathoners.
“No matter what roster we have, he always manages to have an elite team every year.”
From Los Angeles Times
Until recently, AI messaging from the business and tech elite in public has been largely focused on the benefits to economic growth, innovation and, naturally, bottom lines.
It's an all-powerful office - the supreme leader is head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, including the elite Revolutionary Guards.
From BBC
In its chaotic aftermath, revolutionary elites — with Khomeini’s backing — asked Khamenei to run for president.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
