elite

American  

[ih-leet, ey-leet] / ɪˈlit, eɪˈlit /

Or élite

noun

• elites
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• antielite
  noun
• nonelite
  noun
• superelite
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• elites
  plural

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”; see elect

Explanation

The elite are the group thought to be the best and having the highest status. In the middle ages, only elite men were taught to read and write. There are elite schools, elite teams, and elite players, some really the best and some just calling themselves the best. Who can join the basketball elite besides LeBron James and Michael Jordan? That's a matter of opinion. Elite is used with a singular or plural verb, depending on whether these special people are considered together as a group or as individual members of a group.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elite elites

He notes there is hardly a commercial fishing industry in California anymore and that once-abundant marine life, such as abalone, has become a culinary privilege for the elite.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

This opinion is echoed by the moderate flank of the liberal elite.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

The two players have since been training with A-League Women's team Brisbane Roar, planning to continue their elite sporting careers in Australia.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

“He’s had so many elite players to where he knows what it takes,” Curl said, “and he knows when to hold off. ... He takes care of us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

It was predicated on a searing critique of large corporations, particularly railroads, and the wealthy elite in the North and South.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Its carefully planned streets and advanced brick drainage systems indicate that resources were directed toward shared infrastructure rather than monuments celebrating rulers or religious elites.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026

Despite his national hero status, Aung San is feted mostly by ethnic majority Bamar elites, rather than the ethnic minority groups who have fought against central rule for decades, researcher Morgan Michaels said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

It was a story we Mexicans know too well — we’re talented, just not yet at the level of the elites of the world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

The revelations from the files further fueled the widespread, bipartisan exasperation among voters with the wealthiest elites.

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

Other donors to the Christian Union are members of local elites across the Bible Belt.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• aristocracy
• celebrity
• establishment
• society