as in exclusive
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Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nobility
the highest class in a society
the country's elite owned or controlled most of the wealth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elite
Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
The lifestyle element On the flip side, at marathons, brands can no longer solely speak to elite runners.
—Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2026
Erika Harwood, Vanity Fair, 30 Apr. 2026
Research amply shows that what political elites — politicians, political leaders, media commentators, online influencers — say in the wake of these sorts of events has a huge effect on citizens’ attitudes.
—James Piazza, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elite
Adjective
Cold plunges have moved from elite training rooms to backyard tubs, with celebrities and athletes — from Lady Gaga and Chris Hemsworth to Tom Brady — fueling the trend.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
The lifestyle element On the flip side, at marathons, brands can no longer solely speak to elite runners.
—Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
Through the decades, however, the Met Gala has evolved to become one of the year’s most exclusive invites for fashion and culture’s elite.
—Erika Harwood, Vanity Fair, 30 Apr. 2026
Research amply shows that what political elites — politicians, political leaders, media commentators, online influencers — say in the wake of these sorts of events has a huge effect on citizens’ attitudes.
—James Piazza, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 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.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
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Vogue Runway is exclusive to subscribers.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Breyer is married to Joanna Freda Hare, a psychologist and member of the British aristocracy.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The lower classes and the clergy had always hated the Castilians, and the Portuguese aristocracy and the commercial classes—previously content with the patronage and the economic opportunities that the union with Spain had provided—had become dissatisfied during the preceding 20 years.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Korean nobility of bygone eras simply had better taste.—
Lori Waxman,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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In particular, popes wanted to select the church’s bishops rather than allowing nobility or a king to do so.—
Joëlle Rollo-Koster,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The next domino might be Alabama, where Governor Kay Ivey has called a special legislative session to redraw the state's maps less than three weeks before its primaries.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
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Beyond Alabama and Tennessee, legislators in Mississippi are planning to hold a special session to redraw the state's Supreme Court districts.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Test your knowledge of baseball bests, restaurant revamps and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
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Then the speakers’ exhortations to excellence would build in emotional intensity until women began to weep and the meeting erupted in spontaneous pledges to set new personal bests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 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 Stars’ biggest strength is their depth, and removing the linchpin from the top of the lineup affected every line.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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Plus, the more restrained growth of today still comes on top of a much larger business, the Zenith CEO pointed out.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elite. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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