elite

American  

[ih-leet, ey-leet] / ɪˈlit, eɪˈlit /

Or élite

noun

1. (used with a plural verb) the choicest or best of anything considered collectively, especially of a group or class of people.

   The elite of the contemporary art scene were all represented at the gallery.

2. (used with a plural verb)

   1. people of the highest financial or social level of society.

      Only the elite received invites to the event.

   2. a group of people exercising the major share of authority or influence within a larger group.

      The scandal involved most members of the political party's power elite.

3. a member of a group of people who have a great deal of power, influence, or social capital.

   The elites don't care about ordinary people's problems.

4. a type, widely used in typewriters, that is approximately 10-point in size and has 12 characters to the inch.

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adjective

1. representing the choicest or most select; best.

   The program is taught by an elite group of authors.

elite British  

/ ɪˈliːt, eɪ- /

noun

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

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

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adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• antielite noun
• nonelite noun
• superelite noun

Etymology

Origin of elite

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English elit “a person elected to office,” from Middle French e(s)lit, past participle of e(s)lire “to choose”; elect

Example Sentences

A total of 376 officers -- border guards, state police, city police, local sheriff departments and elite forces -- responded to the massacre, a Texas state lawmakers' report said in July 2022.

From Barron's

“We know that this distinctive talent is not only centered at a handful of, I’ll call them, elite sources,” Ciesil said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, moved quickly.

From BBC

The mission was led by elite special operations forces and was supported by every branch of the U.S. military, as well as intelligence and law enforcement agencies, officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The 18-year-old Englishman becomes just the fourth player to win the title in back-to-back years, joining Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson in that elite group.

From BBC

Related Words

• aristocracy
• celebrity
• establishment
• society