elite

or é·lite

[ih-leet, ey-leet]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR elite ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(often used with a plural verb) the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.

(used with a plural verb) persons of the highest class: Only the elite were there.

a group of persons exercising the major share of authority or influence within a larger group: the power elite of a major political party.

a type, approximately 10-point in printing-type size, widely used in typewriters and having 12 characters to the inch.Compare pica¹.

adjective

representing the most choice or select; best: an elite group of authors.

Origin of elite

1350–1400; Middle English elit a person elected to office < Middle French e(s)lit past participle of e(s)lire to choose; see elect

Related formsan·ti·e·lite, noun, adjectivenon·e·lite, nounsu·per·e·lite, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for elite

exclusive, society, celebrity, establishment, aristocracy, noble, elect, top, pick, choice, crack, super, cool, prime, gentility, flower, prize, crowd, fat, best

Examples from the Web for elite

Contemporary Examples of elite

And they all travel affordably, busting the myth that travel is only for the elite.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement
Charlise Ferguson
January 4, 2015
"Our Siberian girls are admired more by Asian countries than by the West," Elite Stars school director Tatyana Fetisova told me.
Is 9-Year-Old Russian Model Kristina Pimenova Too Sexualized?
Anna Nemtsova
December 12, 2014
One of five top agencies in Novosibirsk, Elite Stars, recently was producing over 200 models every two to three months.
Is 9-Year-Old Russian Model Kristina Pimenova Too Sexualized?
Anna Nemtsova
December 12, 2014
The Branson School holds an elite reputation in tony Marin County, charging around $40,000 a year for tuition.
Headmasters Behaving Badly
Emily Shire
November 29, 2014
The elite presidential guard stood alert in front of the Mexican National Palace where the president keeps his main office.
Mexican Protesters Look to Start a New Revolution
Jason McGahan
November 21, 2014

Historical Examples of elite

The Elite Confectionery will occupy these premises Dec. 10th.
Mixed Faces
Roy Norton
Soon they reached the dirty, plastic front of the Elite Cafe.
Foundling on Venus
John de Courcy
But there's very little chance for advancement unless you're one of the elite.
Anchorite
Randall Garrett
After all, they would be, as one of their acquaintances said, among the elite of Beldover.
The Rainbow
D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence
The elite of the army was in the Netherlands; there he could find what he desired.
A Word Only A Word, Complete
Georg Ebers

British Dictionary definitions for elite

elite

lite

noun

(sometimes functioning as plural) the most powerful, rich, gifted, or educated members of a group, community, etc

Also called: twelve pitch a typewriter typesize having 12 characters to the inch

adjective

of, relating to, or suitable for an elite; exclusive

Word Origin for elite

C18: from French, from Old French eslit chosen, from eslire to choose, from Latin ēligere to elect

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

Word Origin and History for elite

1823, from French élite "selection, choice," from Old French eslite (12c.), fem. past participle of elire, elisre "pick out, choose," from Latin eligere "choose" (see election). Borrowed in Middle English as "chosen person" (late 14c.), especially a bishop-elect; died out mid-15c.; re-introduced by Byron's "Don Juan." As an adjective by 1852. As a typeface, first recorded 1920.