as in aristocratic
being or characteristic of a person who has an offensive air of superiority and tends to ignore or disdain anyone regarded as inferior
the complacent, elitist attitude of the members at that suburban country club
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in snob
Synonyms & Similar 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 elitist
Julian Randall, Essence, 29 Apr. 2025
Someone struggling to pay for eggs or buy gas may view scholarly work as frivolous, elitist, or wasteful.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Responsive leadership should be the goal for populists and elitists alike
William F. Buckley Jr. was a man of many unshakable convictions.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for elitist
Adjective
Harris has risen above the notoriously white, elitist spaces of the theatre world.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 29 Apr. 2025
Someone struggling to pay for eggs or buy gas may view scholarly work as frivolous, elitist, or wasteful.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
Looking for a reason to dub classical music elitist, an ongoing memory of monarchs, look no further.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Responsive leadership should be the goal for populists and elitists alike
William F. Buckley Jr. was a man of many unshakable convictions.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for elitist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elitist
Adjective
-
Historical memory Even before the conflict was over, aristocratic Anglican writers such as Sir Richard Musgrave spun the rebellion as an uprising of disgruntled Catholics.—
Joseph Patrick Kelly,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
-
Just six years ago, the Times Square Alliance temporarily installed a similarly monumental statue by the artist Kehinde Wiley, who rose to stardom for his aristocratic portraits of contemporary Black people.—
Andrew Keh,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
Lisette Olivera assumes the mantle as Jess Valenzuela, a history buff and puzzle snob working odd jobs in New Orleans and mourning the recent death of her mother.—
Joshua Alston,
Variety,
14 Dec. 2022
-
On their first day in town, treat your food snob to a fireworks show of Dallas at its most sophisticated.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
23 Mar. 2022
Adjective
-
For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
15 May 2025
-
By losing some of its arrogant charm, Doom has also lost the means to back it up.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
There actually is something at stake for these women, which frees them up for a desperate kind of humor, in the vein of those plucky social climbers in a screwball comedy from an earlier era.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
From the dynastic Dupree family to the conniving social climbers bent on usurping their place at the top of the social hierarchy, the historic new daytime drama is all about its characters.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As a snobbish actress and socialite stranded in a small town with no money O'Hara's Moira was an aloof delight over the series' rolicking six seasons.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
In 1972, Linville picked up a five-year contract playing a snobbish surgeon second-in-command at the 4077th M*A*S*H.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elitist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elitist. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share