corps d'elite

noun

ˌkȯr-dā-ˈlēt 

plural corps d'elite ˌkȯr-dā-ˈlēt 

 or  ˌkȯrz-dā-

1

: a body of picked troops

2

: a group of the best people in a category

Synonyms

• A-list
• aristocracy
• best
• choice
• cream
• crème de la crème
• elect
• elite
• fat
• flower
• illuminati
• pick
• pink
• pride
• priesthood
• prime
• royalty
• upper crust

Examples of corps d'elite in a Sentence

the atomic bomb developers for the Manhattan Project constituted the corps d'elite of American science

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French corps d'élite

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1