elitist

American  

[ih-lee-tist, ey-lee‑] / ɪˈli tɪst, eɪˈli‑ /

adjective

1. (of a person or class of persons) considered superior by others or by themselves, as in intellect, talent, power, wealth, or position in society.

   elitist country clubbers who have theirs and don't care about anybody else.

2. catering to or associated with an elitist class, its ideologies, or its institutions.

   Even at such a small, private college, Latin and Greek are under attack as too elitist.

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noun

1. a person having, thought to have, or professing superior intellect or talent, power, wealth, or membership in the upper echelons of society.

   He lost a congressional race in Texas by being smeared as an Eastern elitist.

2. a person who believes in the superiority of an elitist class.

Other Word Forms

• antielitist noun
• nonelitist noun

Etymology

Origin of elitist

elite + -ist

Example Sentences

“There’s a reputation that museums, and particularly art museums, have of being kind of stuffy or like elitist or something like that, which is not something that I personally agree with,” says Critchley.

From The Wall Street Journal

“How did advocating for timeless artistry at the expense of shallow commercial reality become an ‘elitist’ position?”

From Los Angeles Times

“Now, the witch doesn’t take kindly to this perspective. Personally, I don’t blame her. It’s reductionist, it’s elitist, and it’s just plain icky. So the witch goes from zero to a hundred—and curses Benefo.”

From Literature

But cryptocurrency has something else: A massive elitist ramp determined to drive it higher.

From MarketWatch

BBC sources denied a report in the Telegraph that the corporation's director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, viewed the event as "elitist", adding that the decision had been purely based on the return on investment.

From BBC