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
Relevance
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
as in exclusive
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elite
Sugam Pokharel, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Building on academic excellence and reaching new academic heights that place Chapman among the most elite institutions in the country.
—Melanie Marshall, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
To the Roman elite, Nero wasn’t just lowering himself.
—Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elite
Noun
Anger has been brewing in the Himalayan nation for years about the country’s worsening youth unemployment and lack of economic opportunities, exacerbated by what many view as a growing disparity between the country’s elite and regular people.
—Sugam Pokharel, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Building on academic excellence and reaching new academic heights that place Chapman among the most elite institutions in the country.
—Melanie Marshall, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Soon, film stars and Hollywood elites began making the trek from Los Angeles, with Greta Garbo leading the way.
—Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
To the Roman elite, Nero wasn’t just lowering himself.
—Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elite
Noun
-
The rise of the bias cut was a silhouette on which Robbins wanted to focus, imbuing the fluid style with elements of luxury and glamour intrinsic to the aristocracy.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Many members of Putin’s aristocracy continue to hold out hope that after the end of hostilities, everything will become, if not different, then at least milder.—
ANDREI KOLESNIKOV,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
So there's a nobility in that, but also an ickiness.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Sitting for a portrait was once reserved for the elite, with kings, queens, and nobility commissioning grand works to immortalize themselves and assert their authority.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The dream drive package includes private transfer to The Barn, Napa Valley Car Club's exclusive clubhouse, post-drive drinks and stories and return transfer.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The first-time All-Star would have career bests in ERA, WHIP (0.97) and ERA+ (131) if the season ended today.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Two editors selected it as the overall best.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Grammer will play Lord Fairfax, the unofficial leader of the Virginia gentry who has a complicated relationship to young George Washington as both his crucial mentor and as the father of his romantic rival.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Townshend recalled performing in Chicago at a small club turned roller rink called the Kinetic Playground, 1969 performances with a particularly special opening act.—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Xp Lee won a special election in Minnesota on Tuesday to replace Melissa Hortman, the former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, who was assassinated in June.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Smith, 30, injured himself in the top of the fourth on Friday.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
14 Sep. 2025
-
This high-tech top is made from a fabric blend that combines the odor-resistance and quick-drying properties of merino wool with the wrinkle-resistant and thermoregulation properties of lyocell.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share