elitism

[ ih-lee-tiz-uh m, ey-lee- ]
/ ɪˈli tɪz əm, eɪˈli- /

noun

practice of or belief in rule by an elite.
consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group.

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Origin of elitism

First recorded in 1950–55; elite + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM elitism

e·lit·ist, noun, adjectivean·ti·e·lit·ism, noun

Words nearby elitism

elisha, elision, elisor, elissa, elite, elitism, elitist, elix., elixir, eliz., eliza
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for elitism

British Dictionary definitions for elitism

elitism
/ (ɪˈliːtɪzəm, eɪ-) /

noun

  1. the belief that society should be governed by a select group of gifted and highly educated individuals
  2. such government
pride in or awareness of being one of an elite group

Derived forms of elitism

elitist, adjective, noun
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