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 WebEmi Eleode, ARTnews.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Where his predecessors made their names aligning with Colombian elites, Petro acted as a renegade and started his own political party.
—Justin Worland/bogotá, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Kristen Philipkoski, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Those point to her middle-class background and rise to the second-highest American office, a contrast to today’s China where the top echelons are stacked with men who often hail from politically elite families.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for elite 
Noun
Popular with the elite as a status symbol, silk also held monetary value and was often used in exchange for other goods such as spices, jewelry, weapons, and even enslaved people.
—Emi Eleode, ARTnews.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Where his predecessors made their names aligning with Colombian elites, Petro acted as a renegade and started his own political party.
—Justin Worland/bogotá, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Behind the scenes for the past several years, Ecco has been working to transform its reputation from makers of comfort footwear to purveyors of edgy and stylish shoes via collaborations with elite designers like Ramsay-Levi.
—Kristen Philipkoski, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Those point to her middle-class background and rise to the second-highest American office, a contrast to today’s China where the top echelons are stacked with men who often hail from politically elite families.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for elite
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 5 Nov. 2024.
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