elitist

American  

[ih-lee-tist, ey-lee‑] / ɪˈli tɪst, eɪˈli‑ /

adjective

1. (of a person or class of persons) considered superior by others or by themselves, as in intellect, talent, power, wealth, or position in society.

   elitist country clubbers who have theirs and don't care about anybody else.

2. catering to or associated with an elitist class, its ideologies, or its institutions.

   Even at such a small, private college, Latin and Greek are under attack as too elitist.

---

noun

• elitists
  plural

1. a person having, thought to have, or professing superior intellect or talent, power, wealth, or membership in the upper echelons of society.

   He lost a congressional race in Texas by being smeared as an Eastern elitist.

2. a person who believes in the superiority of an elitist class.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antielitist
  noun
• nonelitist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• elitists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of elitist

elite + -ist

Explanation

Elitist is another word for snob. If you wear only the finest silk suits, expect caviar at every meal, and refuse to speak to anyone who doesn't have a PhD, then you might be an elitist. A fairly recent addition to the English language, the noun elitist, came about from a mix of elite + ist in 1950. Carlyle, Freud, and Nietzsche were all considered to be the original elitists. Elite, from which elitist was formed, evolved much earlier, in 1823, from the French élite, meaning “selection, choice.” Synonyms for elitist include highbrow, pompous person, social climber, and stuffed shirt.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elitist elitists

Synthetic yet organic, populist yet elitist, the $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is full of contradictions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Generating buzz around a very elitist brand is useful.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

But classically trained musicians in the city said they were angry that it was being "weaponised" against young people, reinforcing stereotypes of it being elitist and exclusive.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

They’re insincere and elitist and out of touch and smug in many respects, from the perspective of a young man.

From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026

“That’s always been a little too elitist for me,” Curie said.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Look over here, you snobby basketball and soccer elitists!

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

In a land of vinyl sickos, Spotify normies, and Winamp elitists, Wade Nixon, the man behind the incredibly popular YouTube channel “DankPods,” stands alone with a pair of MP3-playing Oakley sunglasses.

From The Verge ● Jun. 24, 2022

Q: A few years ago, you received flak for a brief clip on CNN where you joked in a Southern accent: “ ‘You elitists with your geography and your maps — and your spelling!’

From Washington Post ● Feb. 11, 2022

Dad complained to Fire Station No. 70, stationed beside the creek, and the elitists soon learned a lesson: No matter how much you are worth, you can’t block a county flood-control channel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2021

It would become a corporate-run dystopia, an overpriced theme park for wealthy elitists.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline