as in aristocracies
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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Recent Examples of elites
Still, these are minor faults compared to an enjoyably harsh yet perceptive look at the psychology of Silicon Valley elites.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
Paramount+’s The Madison is a tale of two shows, one a dire lampooning of snooty New York elites and one a searing portrait of grief and healing anchored by Pfeiffer’s raw intensity.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
The theory of the great replacement is that elites, or, depending on who told the story, Jews (not commonly a direct target of VDARE), have invited nonwhite immigrants with inferior bloodlines into white- dominated Western countries to weaken them and absorb more power for themselves.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
The neighborhood's old cinemas and teahouses still stand where Cairo's elites and British officers once sat.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
Travel on local routes proliferated, and air travel was quickly transformed from a luxury for deep-pocket elites into a nearly everyday indulgence.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
That order has long been defined by power-sharing among entrenched elites, as well as a system widely criticized for enabling corruption, patronage and institutional paralysis.
—Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
To see Hollywood elites Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro trying to regain relevance was hilarious.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
As expected, the comic and actor was inducted into the elite SNL club by a cavalcade of elites, with cameos from Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Candice Bergen and Melissa McCarthy.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2026
Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
Paramount+’s The Madison is a tale of two shows, one a dire lampooning of snooty New York elites and one a searing portrait of grief and healing anchored by Pfeiffer’s raw intensity.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
The theory of the great replacement is that elites, or, depending on who told the story, Jews (not commonly a direct target of VDARE), have invited nonwhite immigrants with inferior bloodlines into white- dominated Western countries to weaken them and absorb more power for themselves.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
The neighborhood's old cinemas and teahouses still stand where Cairo's elites and British officers once sat.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
Travel on local routes proliferated, and air travel was quickly transformed from a luxury for deep-pocket elites into a nearly everyday indulgence.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
That order has long been defined by power-sharing among entrenched elites, as well as a system widely criticized for enabling corruption, patronage and institutional paralysis.
—Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
To see Hollywood elites Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro trying to regain relevance was hilarious.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
As expected, the comic and actor was inducted into the elite SNL club by a cavalcade of elites, with cameos from Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Candice Bergen and Melissa McCarthy.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elites
Noun
-
But, a couple of injuries for Blackwood, combined with his own work, has allowed Wedgewood to start 40 games and appear in 42 this season -- easily career-bests at the NHL level.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Rice this season produced career bests in points, field-goal accuracy, rebounds and steals.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If anything, Coop studies people, studies groups of folks and systems, and how informal and formal systems of specific societies interact.—
Jerald “Coop” Cooper,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
This shift benefited not only Jews but liberal societies as a whole.—
Kenneth L. Marcus,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Leefbaar Rotterdam, Reichman’s political party, has sought to distance itself from the council member-elect.—
Brooke Migdon,
PEOPLE,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Congratulations to the new members-elect.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elites. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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