elitism

noun

elit·​ism i-ˈlē-ˌti-zəm  ē-  ā- 

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

Examples of elitism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Once in office, Nixon deployed Vice President Spiro Agnew to verbally assault journalists for their putative bias and elitism. — Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026

Tribunals have been appointed, and Coriolanus’ scornful elitism strikes them as too heavy a price for his military protection. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Zulfi is an iconoclast and a hustler, a man who dreams of opening a Muslims-only version of Uber and who, even in the face of Shah’s elitism and English society’s broader wariness, holds onto an unshakable optimism. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026

If all this sounds eye-roll-inducing, take note that the pies’ scarcity isn’t a form of elitism, or a McRib-style marketing gimmick. — Allecia Vermillion, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for elitism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism