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

The presidential honor guard may sound like a small elite unit with narrow responsibilities to provide security for the dictator.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Yet like many of the relatively more open-minded elite, his once-flexible positions have hardened during the unrest, which has posed the stiffest challenge to the regime in decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

SINGAPORE—After a year of gung-ho news about China’s gains in artificial intelligence, some elite Chinese AI researchers are coming to a more pessimistic conclusion.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is not necessarily surprising that the better-trained and better-equipped Delta Force soldiers emerged virtually unscathed, especially given their elite reputation within the most powerful military in the world.

From BBC

Related Words

• aristocracy
• celebrity
• establishment
• society