as in exclusive
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elite
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The rest of the 27,0000 other runner in the field will start after the elite races.
—John Davis, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
Imtiaz Tyab, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
In the final season of Handmaid’s Tale, Lydia grew increasingly disillusioned by the hypocrisy of the ruling elites, and she was finally forced to accept the horrific reality of her role in Gilead.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elite
Adjective
The team’s expectations coming into the season were to field a lineup that included two future Hall of Famers in Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan, an elite offensive talent in LaVine, a former All-Star and All-NBA center in Sabonis, and a budding two-way wing in Murray.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The rest of the 27,0000 other runner in the field will start after the elite races.
—John Davis, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images He studied theology in Qom and fought as a young volunteer during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, credentials that still carry weight within the revolutionary elite.
—Imtiaz Tyab, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
In the final season of Handmaid’s Tale, Lydia grew increasingly disillusioned by the hypocrisy of the ruling elites, and she was finally forced to accept the horrific reality of her role in Gilead.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elite
Adjective
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Broncos are bringing back exclusive-rights free agents Devon Key, Dondrea Tillman, Tyler Badie and Jordan Jackson, a source confirmed to The Post Thursday.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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According to Deirdre Clemente, a fashion and culture historian, the emergence of the suit as the standard for men in the 18th and 19th centuries was itself a rebellion against the ornate, flashy and colorful clothing associated with aristocracy.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Film clips play silently in windows throughout the room, and even without words guests can sense the tension between old aristocracy and the rising influence of the merchant class.—
Jane Wooldridge,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the context of the song, though, the ability to withstand suffering takes on a kind of nobility—not as a good in itself but as a sign of perseverance.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
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The most recent season featured Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) falling for maid and illegitimate child of nobility Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) over the course of eight very Cinderella-esque episodes.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Requiring no special pan, this festive cake is loved by both kids and adults.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
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But some backpacks are better for travel than others, perhaps designed with isolated shoe compartments, holes to feed your phone charging cable through, jewelry pouches, and special materials that simply wipe clean after picking up germs from public floors.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Nahshon Wright, Chicago Wright, 27, is a five-year veteran who made the Pro Bowl last season after having career bests in starts (16), interceptions (five, one returned for a touchdown), passes defended (11) and tackles (80).—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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Foegele, 29, had the best season of his career in his first year as a King, with personal bests in goals, assists, points and plus-minus rating.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The nobles and gentry—the billionaires of Tudor England—made fortunes from the reclaimed monastery lands and created a myth of Henry’s military strength and English pride.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Oct. 2025
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Parker will play Mary Washington, George’s strong willed mother, while Rodgers will play Sally Cary, the charming beauty of the Virginia gentry who first sees his potential.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Without better reporting, lawmakers and analysts will have to act with incomplete knowledge, essentially guessing effective tax rates based on limited and sometimes misleading reporting.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 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
Noun
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The upholstered headboard extends to one side and becomes a seat, with a marble-top tulip end table for dining.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
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El Segundo tied it 3-3 in the top of the seventh on a two-out, three-run home run by Chase Mattoon.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elite. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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