elite

1 individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class the winners of this science award represent the elite of our high schools Synonyms A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, crème de la crème, elect, fat, flower, illuminati, pick, pink, pride, priesthood, prime, royalty, upper crust Related Words establishment, gentry, nobility, quality, society, top, top drawer, upper class; caviar (also caviare); who's who Phrases cream of the crop, Hall of Fame Near Antonyms commoners, herd, hoi polloi, masses, millions, mob, multitude, rank and file, unwashed

2 the highest class in a society the country's elite owned or controlled most of the wealth Synonyms aristocracy, gentility, gentlefolk (also gentlefolks), gentry, nobility, patriciate, quality, upper class, upper crustRelated Words A-list, beau monde, beautiful people, café society, Four Hundred (or 400), glitterati, haut monde (also haute monde), jet set, society; carriage trade, plutocracyNear Antonyms commoners, (the) crowd, (the) masses, peasantry, peonage, (the) people, plebeians, plebs, (the) populace, (the) public, rank and file; bourgeoisie, middle class, working class; dregs, (the) herd, (the) mob, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, scum, trashAntonyms proletarians, proletariat