elitism

noun

elit·​ism ā-ˈlē-ˌti-zəm 

i-,

ē- 

1

: leadership or rule by an elite

2

: the selectivity of the elite

especially : snobbery

elitism in choosing new members

3

: consciousness of being or belonging to an elite

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

But the educational elitism and buy-in comes at the cost of accessibility. —Hannah Summerhill, ELLE, 26 Aug. 2022

Ironically, anthropomorphism, or tactics like it, might be one way of reducing the harms of such rank elitism. —Eleanor Cummins, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2022

Short films promote the poll’s avant-garde elitism: Meshes of the Afternoon, La Jetée. —Armond White, National Review, 7 Dec. 2022

Through conversations with Dial, Arnett, curators and historians, the film also examined elitism in the art world. —Shauna Stuart | [e-mail], al, 1 Dec. 2022

When it was announced that Abramovitz’s hall would seat fewer people than Carnegie, critics cried elitism. —Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2022

Given their love for the finer things in life, Tauruses can sometimes project an air of elitism, Neptune explains. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2022

And to be honest about it, the sport is defined in its very essence by a sort of country club elitism that is antithetical to greater inclusiveness. —Harry Edwards, CNN, 13 Sep. 2022

That’s certainly one argument for adopting an industry stance around inclusion rather than the exclusion that elitism implies. —Tracy Ross, Outside Online, 30 Jan. 2019

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Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined at sense 1