1
a
singular or plural in construction
: the choice part : cream
the elite of the entertainment world
b
singular or plural in construction
: the best of a class
superachievers who dominate the computer elite—
Marilyn Chase
Marilyn Chase
c
singular or plural in construction
: the socially superior part of society
how the French-speaking elite … was changing—Economist
Economist
d
: a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence
members of the ruling elite
e
: a member of such an elite
—usually used in plural
the elites …, pursuing their studies in Europe—Robert Wernick
Robert Wernick2
: a typewriter type providing 12 characters to the linear inch
: of, relating to, serving, or being part of an elite
seeking to attain elite status
an elite group
an elite institution/school
often
: superior in quality, rank, skill, etc.
an elite performer
an elite athlete
an athlete with elite skills
The elite chess players of today are of no school. They hail from all over the world … —Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov Synonyms
Examples of elite in a Sentence
Noun
the winners of this science award represent the elite of our high schools
the country's elite owned or controlled most of the wealth
Recent Examples on the WebTom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 19 May 2024
The coastal town, located seven miles off of the coast of Massachusetts, is known as the vacation destination for the Black elite, such as former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, Spike Lee, and Oprah.
—Taylor Crumpton, Essence, 16 May 2024
Editors’ Picks Image Like Mr. Orban and the Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders, Mr. Fico has delighted in presenting himself as a pugnacious fighter for the common man, a forthright enemy of liberal elites and a bulwark against immigration from outside Europe, particularly by Muslims.
—Richard Pérez-Peña, New York Times, 15 May 2024
As a result of the growing inability of D.C.’s political elites to agree on how best to tackle U.S. government debt, S&P Global in 2011 stripped the country of its AAA sovereign debt rating—something Buffett criticized at the time.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 6 May 2024
For one night, the Orioles again held sway among the elite in Washington, which was the team’s exclusive territory until the Nationals arrived in 2005.
—Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2024
The Padres lost All-Star Juan Soto, Cy Young winner Blake Snell, elite closer Josh Hader, solid rotation anchors Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, versatile arm Nick Martinez, Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham and the the sky did fall onto Petco Park.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2024
Airlines won't pick passengers out of a hat, though — these upgrades are typically offered to elites first.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
Biden, who landed at Moffett Field on Thursday evening, planned to meet and greet Silicon Valley’s tech elite at two megawatt fundraisers on Friday: one in Portola Valley at the home of venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, and the other with former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer in Palo Alto.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
Lulu Garcia-Navarro, New York Times, 25 May 2024
This analysis suggests elite ancient Roman imported monkeys as exotic pets.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 May 2024
One or two elite players can change the trajectory of a season, and success is defined by the anything-goes nature of a postseason tournament that has produced the likes of Butler, Loyola, St. Peter’s and Florida Atlantic.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 24 May 2024
When Qasem Soleimani, a senior commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards was killed by a U.S. missile in 2020 in Iraq, his funeral drew huge crowds of mourners, many apparently weeping with sorrow and rage.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
For most elite watchmaking houses, the celebrity ambassador is as de rigueur as the balance wheel.
—Nora Taylor, Robb Report, 20 May 2024
Observers of the turmoil at elite universities may regard the disruption, hate, and ignorance on full display as alarming indicators of the next generation’s values.
—Lauren Noble, National Review, 19 May 2024
The two companies, both based in California, are a sort of avatar for anxieties about cultural impositions from elite enclaves on the coasts that are the basis of some of the politics behind culture war issues.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 May 2024
This site has free options, as well as premium and elite level subscriptions, at $39 and $199 per year, respectively.
—Deanna Taylor, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2024
Noun
The sons of elites from Moscow and St. Petersburg have thus far been spared.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 19 May 2024
The coastal town, located seven miles off of the coast of Massachusetts, is known as the vacation destination for the Black elite, such as former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, Spike Lee, and Oprah.
—Taylor Crumpton, Essence, 16 May 2024
Editors’ Picks Image Like Mr. Orban and the Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders, Mr. Fico has delighted in presenting himself as a pugnacious fighter for the common man, a forthright enemy of liberal elites and a bulwark against immigration from outside Europe, particularly by Muslims.
—Richard Pérez-Peña, New York Times, 15 May 2024
As a result of the growing inability of D.C.’s political elites to agree on how best to tackle U.S. government debt, S&P Global in 2011 stripped the country of its AAA sovereign debt rating—something Buffett criticized at the time.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 6 May 2024
For one night, the Orioles again held sway among the elite in Washington, which was the team’s exclusive territory until the Nationals arrived in 2005.
—Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2024
The Padres lost All-Star Juan Soto, Cy Young winner Blake Snell, elite closer Josh Hader, solid rotation anchors Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, versatile arm Nick Martinez, Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham and the the sky did fall onto Petco Park.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2024
Airlines won't pick passengers out of a hat, though — these upgrades are typically offered to elites first.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
Biden, who landed at Moffett Field on Thursday evening, planned to meet and greet Silicon Valley’s tech elite at two megawatt fundraisers on Friday: one in Portola Valley at the home of venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, and the other with former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer in Palo Alto.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
Adjective
Prestige elite programming plays a very important role in culture.
—Lulu Garcia-Navarro, New York Times, 25 May 2024
This analysis suggests elite ancient Roman imported monkeys as exotic pets.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 May 2024
One or two elite players can change the trajectory of a season, and success is defined by the anything-goes nature of a postseason tournament that has produced the likes of Butler, Loyola, St. Peter’s and Florida Atlantic.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 24 May 2024
When Qasem Soleimani, a senior commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards was killed by a U.S. missile in 2020 in Iraq, his funeral drew huge crowds of mourners, many apparently weeping with sorrow and rage.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
For most elite watchmaking houses, the celebrity ambassador is as de rigueur as the balance wheel.
—Nora Taylor, Robb Report, 20 May 2024
Observers of the turmoil at elite universities may regard the disruption, hate, and ignorance on full display as alarming indicators of the next generation’s values.
—Lauren Noble, National Review, 19 May 2024
The two companies, both based in California, are a sort of avatar for anxieties about cultural impositions from elite enclaves on the coasts that are the basis of some of the politics behind culture war issues.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 May 2024
This site has free options, as well as premium and elite level subscriptions, at $39 and $199 per year, respectively.
—Deanna Taylor, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Elite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elite. Accessed 2 Jun. 2024.
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