elite

elite

noun \ā-ˈlēt, i-, ē-\

Definition of ELITE

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 elite — Marilyn Chase>

c singular or plural in construction : the socially superior part of society <how the French-speaking elite…was changing — Economist>

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 Europe — Robert Wernick>

2

: a typewriter type providing 12 characters to the linear inch

— elite adjective

Examples of ELITE

1. <the winners of this science award represent the elite of our high schools>
2. <the country's elite owned or controlled most of the wealth>

Origin of ELITE

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

First Known Use: 1823

Related to ELITE

Synonyms

A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, crème de la crème, elect, fat, flower, illuminati, pick, pink, pride, priesthood, prime, royalty, upper crust, cream of the crop, Hall of Fame

Antonyms

proletarians, proletariat

Related Words

establishment, gentry, nobility, quality, society, top, top drawer, upper class; caviar (also caviare); who's who

Near Antonyms

commoners, herd, hoi polloi, masses, millions, mob, multitude, rank and file, unwashed

Rhymes with ELITE

accrete, aesthete, afreet, athlete, backbeat, backseat, backstreet, bedsheet, bench seat, big beat, bolete, box pleat, box seat, break beat, broadsheet, browbeat, buckwheat, bystreet, call sheet, car seat, cheat sheet, clipsheet, cloud street, cold feet, compete, compleat, complete, conceit, concrete, crabmeat, crib sheet, deadbeat, dead heat, dead meat, deceit, defeat, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, disseat, downbeat, drop seat, drumbeat, dutch treat, effete, en suite, entreat, escheat, excrete, facete, Fleet Street, fly sheet, forcemeat, foresheet, four-peat, gamete, groundsheet, hard wheat, heartbeat, heat-treat, helpmeet, hoofbeat, hot seat, house seat, ice sheet, ill-treat, jump seat, kick pleat, love seat, mainsheet, Main Street, maltreat, mesquite, mincemeat, mistreat, offbeat, Ossete, petite, pink sheet, preheat, rap sheet, receipt, recheat, red heat, red meat, red wheat, regreet, repeat, replete, retreat, scratch sheet, secrete, side street, slip-sheet, soft wheat, spreadsheet, stand treat, swap meet, sweetmeat, tear sheet, terete, three-peat, through street, time sheet, unmeet, unseat, upbeat, vegete, volkslied, white heat

élite

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élit·ism

Definition of ÉLITE

chiefly British variant of elite, elitism