elitist

1 of 2

noun

elit·​ist i-ˈlē-tist  ē-  ā- 

plural elitists

1

: one who is an adherent of elitism : one whose attitudes and beliefs are biased in favor of a socially elite class of people

On many issues, they seem to be populists rather than elitists—believers that people can make decisions for themselves better than elites can.

—Michael Barone

Derided by elitists as phony, the … movement is spontaneous, decentralized, frequently amateurish and sometimes shrill.

—Karl Rove

2

: a person who is or regards himself or herself as a member of a socially elite group

He's too rich, too polished—he's an elitist in a party that has become home to disaffected white, working-class voters.

—Joe Klein

He was an elitist, who esteemed himself better than Americans from most classes of the population.

—Louis Filler

elitist

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to elites or elitism: such as

a

: giving special treatment and advantages to wealthy and powerful people

elitist colleges

an elitist country club

Cosmetic surgery is still mostly an elitist preoccupation …

—Toni Bentley

b

: regarding other people as inferior because they lack power, wealth, or status : snobbish

an elitist snob

elitist classmates

Synonyms

Adjective

• aristocratic
• arrogant
• snobbish

Examples of elitist in a Sentence

Adjective

the complacent, elitist attitude of the members at that suburban country club

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The private remark reinforced a sense, even among conservatives, that the wealthy businessman was an out-of-touch elitist who was ready to write-off about half the country as indifferent to his economic agenda. —Philip Elliott, Time, 24 Sep. 2025

In a Fox News interview, Carr portrayed Kimmel as an elitist and his own interests as those of the community. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025

Adjective

The series also starred Portia de Rossi as the family's layabout daughter, Lindsay; David Cross as her aspiring actor husband, Tobias; Alia Shawkat as their teen daughter, Maeby; Jessica Walter as the family's elitist matriarch, Lucille; and Tony Hale as the dynasty's helpless youngest son, Buster. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Sep. 2025

Just so smug and elitist and short-sighted. —Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1943, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing elitist

• anti-elitist

Rhymes for elitist

• completest
• defeatist
• neatest
• sweetest