elit·ist
i-ˈlē-tist 
ē-
ā-
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
Michael BaroneDerided by elitists as phony, the … movement is spontaneous, decentralized, frequently amateurish and sometimes shrill.—Karl Rove
Karl Rove2
: 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
Joe KleinHe was an elitist, who esteemed himself better than Americans from most classes of the population.—Louis Filler
Louis Filler
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
Toni Bentley
b
: regarding other people as inferior because they lack power, wealth, or status : snobbish
an elitist snob
elitist classmates
Synonyms
Examples of elitist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebAmy Westervelt, The New Republic, 12 Sep. 2023
The opposition sought to portray Mr. Mitsotakis as an arrogant, autocratic and out-of-touch elitist who was both a beneficiary and perpetrator of nepotism, but that did not seem to resonate with voters.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 26 June 2023
Newsom has a different problem: Californians who see him as an elitist who doesn’t think the rules apply to him, Exhibit A being the infamous French Laundry dinner.
—Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Feb. 2021
It can be used as either a disparaging or playful way of calling someone an elitist.
—Deb Amlen, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2022
Mocking people without coming across as a patronizing elitist is an incredibly difficult feat, and Burr seems to understand how to walk across that line, without stumbling.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 May 2021
Remember 2013, when supporters of Walsh, of Dorchester, tried to cast his opponent John Connolly, the son of a judge, born and raised in Roslindale, as an out-of-touch elitist for having gone to Harvard?
—BostonGlobe.com, 2 Oct. 2021
There was a common theme to paint Newsom as an elitist, which included Elder calling out the governor for his infamous French Laundry dinner on Nov. 6.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2021
Go ahead, call me an elitist.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2011
Raf Casert, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024
The tournament is largely removed from its reputation as an elitist sport for the rich.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2023
American news media, including and particularly local news outlets, have a long history of elitist sourcing.
—Subramaniam Vincent, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
The notion that there is something snobbish and elitist about dressing up.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2024
French politics has become an elitist preserve of white men from the best schools.
—Nabila Ramdani, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Carnival krewes in New Orleans did not desegregate until 1992 when a Black City Councilwoman named Dorothy Mae Taylor authored the ordinance to integrate Mardi Gras and challenged the elitist, racist practices embedded in Carnival.
—Cierra Chenier, Essence, 12 Feb. 2024
This sector, an elitist enclave since the early 1990s, sought a new motto to represent fresh strategies of engaging with customers, merging geography, economy, and design.
—Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024
Some residents and businesses on Pico paint the gates as elitist.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024
Noun
Wade often depicts those who would deny the continent its current fossil fuel boom as out-of-touch elitists and regularly claims that climate action will kill a billion Africans—all while refusing to engage with the fact that African climate activists are being arrested at an alarming rate.
—Amy Westervelt, The New Republic, 12 Sep. 2023
The opposition sought to portray Mr. Mitsotakis as an arrogant, autocratic and out-of-touch elitist who was both a beneficiary and perpetrator of nepotism, but that did not seem to resonate with voters.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 26 June 2023
Newsom has a different problem: Californians who see him as an elitist who doesn’t think the rules apply to him, Exhibit A being the infamous French Laundry dinner.
—Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Feb. 2021
It can be used as either a disparaging or playful way of calling someone an elitist.
—Deb Amlen, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2022
Mocking people without coming across as a patronizing elitist is an incredibly difficult feat, and Burr seems to understand how to walk across that line, without stumbling.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 May 2021
Remember 2013, when supporters of Walsh, of Dorchester, tried to cast his opponent John Connolly, the son of a judge, born and raised in Roslindale, as an out-of-touch elitist for having gone to Harvard?
—BostonGlobe.com, 2 Oct. 2021
There was a common theme to paint Newsom as an elitist, which included Elder calling out the governor for his infamous French Laundry dinner on Nov. 6.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2021
Go ahead, call me an elitist.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2011
Adjective
The plight of farmers has become a rallying cry for populists and conservatives who claim EU climate and farm policies are little more than bureaucratic bungling from elitist politicians who have lost any feeling for soil and land.
—Raf Casert, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024
The tournament is largely removed from its reputation as an elitist sport for the rich.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2023
American news media, including and particularly local news outlets, have a long history of elitist sourcing.
—Subramaniam Vincent, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
The notion that there is something snobbish and elitist about dressing up.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2024
French politics has become an elitist preserve of white men from the best schools.
—Nabila Ramdani, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Carnival krewes in New Orleans did not desegregate until 1992 when a Black City Councilwoman named Dorothy Mae Taylor authored the ordinance to integrate Mardi Gras and challenged the elitist, racist practices embedded in Carnival.
—Cierra Chenier, Essence, 12 Feb. 2024
This sector, an elitist enclave since the early 1990s, sought a new motto to represent fresh strategies of engaging with customers, merging geography, economy, and design.
—Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024
Some residents and businesses on Pico paint the gates as elitist.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elitist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Elitist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elitist. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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