anti-elite
adjective
ˌan-tē-ā-ˈlēt 
-i-,
-ē-,
ˌan-tī-
: opposing the elite : anti-elitist
Ford rode a wave of anti-elite sentiment to power …—
Matt Ford and Rosa Smith
Matt Ford and Rosa SmithExamples of anti-elite in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the United States, Trump effectively consolidated the center-right and far right into the Republican Party and twice won the presidency on an anti-elite message.
—Robert Petkoff Krish Seenivasan Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
In reaction to the excesses and ideological overreach of the Left, a meaningful portion of the Right will embrace figures deemed sufficiently anti-elite, anti-globalist, and anti-woke — regardless of the evidence against their character or integrity.
—Liam Siegler, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
Populists have embraced popular and science-backed policies that align with an anti-elite stance.
—Dominik Stecuła, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
The case struck a chord on the left and populist right, tapping into the anti-elite sentiment and frustration with a health care system that many view as cruel and financially punitive toward patients.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024
This second anti-elite revolt is already in the making.
—Edoardo Campanella, Foreign Affairs, 25 July 2024
Both Carlson and Vance share an anti-elite ideology (despite their status as elites), with isolationist and populist tendencies that can, at times, seem xenophobic.
—Jeremy Barr, Washington Post, 17 July 2024
Democrats in 2016 were slow to appreciate what the Brexit vote in Britain meant, that anti-elite populism was a powerful global force that could overwhelm their presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and help elect Donald Trump.
—Dan Balz, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
Petro’s populist platforms and anti-elite discourse clashed with Colombia’s tradition of more centrist, consensual politics, and going into the final round of voting, his victory seemed far from assured.
—Michael Shifter, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2023
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Robert Petkoff Krish Seenivasan Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
In reaction to the excesses and ideological overreach of the Left, a meaningful portion of the Right will embrace figures deemed sufficiently anti-elite, anti-globalist, and anti-woke — regardless of the evidence against their character or integrity.
—Liam Siegler, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
Populists have embraced popular and science-backed policies that align with an anti-elite stance.
—Dominik Stecuła, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
The case struck a chord on the left and populist right, tapping into the anti-elite sentiment and frustration with a health care system that many view as cruel and financially punitive toward patients.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024
This second anti-elite revolt is already in the making.
—Edoardo Campanella, Foreign Affairs, 25 July 2024
Both Carlson and Vance share an anti-elite ideology (despite their status as elites), with isolationist and populist tendencies that can, at times, seem xenophobic.
—Jeremy Barr, Washington Post, 17 July 2024
Democrats in 2016 were slow to appreciate what the Brexit vote in Britain meant, that anti-elite populism was a powerful global force that could overwhelm their presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and help elect Donald Trump.
—Dan Balz, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
Petro’s populist platforms and anti-elite discourse clashed with Colombia’s tradition of more centrist, consensual politics, and going into the final round of voting, his victory seemed far from assured.
—Michael Shifter, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Anti-elite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-elite. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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