1
as in aristocracy
individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class
the winners of this science award represent the elite of our high schools
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nobility
the highest class in a society
the country's elite owned or controlled most of the wealth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in exclusive
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elite
Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Perhaps one or two of these elite prospects could be added to the roster as reserves, depending on possible injuries.
—Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
South Sudan wants the Trump administration to lift a travel ban on the country and remove sanctions from some South Sudanese elites, said Szlavik.
—CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elite
Noun
That tradition saw arguably its greatest shift in the wake of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's Watergate reporting that helped bring down the Nixon administration and attracted a new wave of talent from elite universities.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Perhaps one or two of these elite prospects could be added to the roster as reserves, depending on possible injuries.
—Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
That changed with the show’s third season, which focused attention on the Scott family, bringing them to Newport and introducing them to a whole new faction of the Black elite, including the judgmental Mrs. Kirkland, played by Phylicia Rashad.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
South Sudan wants the Trump administration to lift a travel ban on the country and remove sanctions from some South Sudanese elites, said Szlavik.
—CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elite
Noun
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Men in the imperial aristocracy also avidly read texts in Japanese, but nobody, male or female, bothered to retain for the historical record the actual name of The Tale of Genji’s author, even though she was recognized during her lifetime as a supremely skilled writer.—
Lauren Groff,
The Atlantic,
20 Aug. 2025
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Even in good times, this aristocracy exploited small tenant farmers who in turn exploited still smaller farmers, who raised just enough potatoes to keep their families alive.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The visual suggests the film’s exploration of decaying nobility and internal conflict.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2025
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An especially Jewish theme in the seventeenth century was not only the necessity but the dignity of subterfuge; to have lived in the shadows of another people’s empire had a nobility of its own, captured in this exquisite and ambivalent image.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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The two sides on Thursday memorialized an agreement to open exclusive negotiations that officials hope will lead to turning Cal Expo’s defunct horse racing track and grand stand into a new football facility located roughly three miles north of Sacramento State’s campus.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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In an exclusive interview with News 5 in Cleveland, Kelce’s dad Ed Kelce said his son got down on one knee nearly two weeks ago, on Aug. 10, and that Travis asked Taylor to marry him at his secret garden.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Test yourself on park pioneers and baseball bests in this week's American Culture Quiz.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Rosé and Sabrina Carpenter both collect eight nods, which mark personal bests for the two stars.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Public Health and Race in Los Angeles, 1879-1939, Natalia Molina systematically breaks down how, more than a century ago, the Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican communities of Los Angeles were portrayed as health threats to the white gentry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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This differed from Europe, where land ownership was immobilized by gentry classes who housed and employed farmers.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a year-long celebration featuring special shows, tours, and artist debuts.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
26 Aug. 2025
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Some items have been added to showcase Gravelle’s Bronco style, such as the special sticker with the Appalachian Mountains landscape that graces the glove box and usually gets the most comments from first-time passengers.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
Freep.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Based on the 500 Nuova, this car features an extended roof that can be removed, similar to a soft targa top.—
Keenan Thompson,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Supported by 7 large air tankers and multiple helicopters, firefighters worked directly along the active edge on the southwest corner to tie fire line back down to the river to prevent westward spread, and worked dozers in across the top of the fire, opening roads and old lines from previous fires.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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With Hunter playing both sides of the ball, expect his presence to give Thomas better opportunities without the risk of Hunter emerging as the new WR1.—
Steve Bradshaw,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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By better understanding how the AAC organizes vocal output in budgerigars, researchers hope to gain new insights into human speech disorders, such as aphasia and Parkinson’s disease, which can impair a person’s ability to produce language.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elite. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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