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
Marilyn Chase
c
singular or plural in construction
: the socially superior part of society
how the French-speaking elite … was changing—Economist
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
Robert Wernick2
: a typewriter type providing 12 characters to the linear inch
: 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
Garry Kasparov Synonyms
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 WebSharon Lafraniere, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
Within the Russian elite, there are a range of views on the war, which has had touched off the worst breakdown in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
—Reuters, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
The president doubled down on his differences with Trump later in his speech on Wednesday and said working-class voters are probably familiar with the kind of elites that Biden argued Trump represents.
MORE: A potential Trump-Biden contest could hinge on the economy.
—Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024
For example, both parties have embraced neoliberal economic ideas and policies that have undercut the power of working Americans, enhanced the power of wealthy corporate elites, and weakened the ability of government to counter this tilt.
—Sheri Berman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
There, the activist is working with 60 supporters—whose anti-Kremlin activities include tracking down the villas, yachts, and bank accounts of the Russian political elites—inside three fully operational production studios and a high-tech control room.
—Sam Jacobs, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Even many of Iran’s current elite don’t want such a conflict.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2024
The fact that folks in Washington, liberal elites in Washington want to stand on the shoulders of hardworking American families that built this country, defended this country and tell them how to live their lives.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2024
The concept emerged as a buzzword of sorts among many of Silicon Valley’s elite — including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman — even before the public launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 re-upped a global debate about automation disrupting jobs.
—Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
An observer from the State Department, which has funded everything in Guatemala from training border police to an elite anti-gang unit, also accompanied the mission.
—Simon Romero Daniele Volpe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
This fantasy turned reality was born out of years of hard work from Guyton and months of homework from the Cowboys, who fell in love with his elite athleticism and enormous potential to be a special player.
—Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024
Ghosts had also been prominent in noh theater going back centuries and aimed at a more elite, discerning audience.
—Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
Likewise, Perfect Game has a foundation to provide access to its elite events to underserved communities.
—Adam Minter, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2024
In my experience as a professor who teaches at an elite private university, virtual learning is discouraged under normal circumstances.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2024
That said, policymakers, experts, and even UHG executives—which are working with the FBI and a laundry list of elite cybersecurity and tech firms—are still in the early stages of understanding the attack and its full consequences.
—Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
The event featured 40 elite athletes worldwide who teamed up with Nike to unveil the 2024 national and federation kits for the Summer Olympics.
—Devine Blacksher, Essence, 18 Apr. 2024
Noun
Editors’ Picks There’s History in These Cheese Pulls But the men share right-wing, nationalist politics and a vision for how the Republican Party should root out vestiges of old elites.
—Sharon Lafraniere, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
Within the Russian elite, there are a range of views on the war, which has had touched off the worst breakdown in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
—Reuters, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
The president doubled down on his differences with Trump later in his speech on Wednesday and said working-class voters are probably familiar with the kind of elites that Biden argued Trump represents.
MORE: A potential Trump-Biden contest could hinge on the economy.
—Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024
For example, both parties have embraced neoliberal economic ideas and policies that have undercut the power of working Americans, enhanced the power of wealthy corporate elites, and weakened the ability of government to counter this tilt.
—Sheri Berman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
There, the activist is working with 60 supporters—whose anti-Kremlin activities include tracking down the villas, yachts, and bank accounts of the Russian political elites—inside three fully operational production studios and a high-tech control room.
—Sam Jacobs, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Even many of Iran’s current elite don’t want such a conflict.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2024
The fact that folks in Washington, liberal elites in Washington want to stand on the shoulders of hardworking American families that built this country, defended this country and tell them how to live their lives.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2024
The concept emerged as a buzzword of sorts among many of Silicon Valley’s elite — including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman — even before the public launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 re-upped a global debate about automation disrupting jobs.
—Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Catcher Kyle McCann, who was sorting through text messages after his game-winning two-run home run against Baltimore, thinks the back end of the A’s bullpen can be elite.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
An observer from the State Department, which has funded everything in Guatemala from training border police to an elite anti-gang unit, also accompanied the mission.
—Simon Romero Daniele Volpe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
This fantasy turned reality was born out of years of hard work from Guyton and months of homework from the Cowboys, who fell in love with his elite athleticism and enormous potential to be a special player.
—Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024
Ghosts had also been prominent in noh theater going back centuries and aimed at a more elite, discerning audience.
—Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
Likewise, Perfect Game has a foundation to provide access to its elite events to underserved communities.
—Adam Minter, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2024
In my experience as a professor who teaches at an elite private university, virtual learning is discouraged under normal circumstances.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2024
That said, policymakers, experts, and even UHG executives—which are working with the FBI and a laundry list of elite cybersecurity and tech firms—are still in the early stages of understanding the attack and its full consequences.
—Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
The event featured 40 elite athletes worldwide who teamed up with Nike to unveil the 2024 national and federation kits for the Summer Olympics.
—Devine Blacksher, Essence, 18 Apr. 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Elite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elite. Accessed 7 May. 2024.
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