elitism

[ ih-lee-tiz-uhm, ey-lee- ]
See synonyms for: elitismelitist on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. practice of or belief in rule by an elite.

  2. consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group.

Origin of elitism

1
First recorded in 1950–55; elite + -ism

Other words from elitism

  • e·lit·ist, noun, adjective
  • an·ti·e·lit·ism, noun

Words Nearby elitism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use elitism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for elitism

elitism

/ (ɪˈliːtɪzəm, eɪ-) /


noun
    • the belief that society should be governed by a select group of gifted and highly educated individuals

    • such government

  1. pride in or awareness of being one of an elite group

Derived forms of elitism

  • elitist, adjective, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012