elitist

1 of 2

noun

elit·​ist i-ˈlē-tist  ē-  ā- 

plural elitists

1

: one who is an adherent of elitism : one whose attitudes and beliefs are biased in favor of a socially elite class of people

On many issues, they seem to be populists rather than elitists—believers that people can make decisions for themselves better than elites can.

—Michael Barone

Derided by elitists as phony, the … movement is spontaneous, decentralized, frequently amateurish and sometimes shrill.

—Karl Rove

2

: a person who is or regards himself or herself as a member of a socially elite group

He's too rich, too polished—he's an elitist in a party that has become home to disaffected white, working-class voters.

—Joe Klein

He was an elitist, who esteemed himself better than Americans from most classes of the population.

—Louis Filler

elitist

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to elites or elitism: such as

a

: giving special treatment and advantages to wealthy and powerful people

elitist colleges

an elitist country club

Cosmetic surgery is still mostly an elitist preoccupation …

—Toni Bentley

b

: regarding other people as inferior because they lack power, wealth, or status : snobbish

an elitist snob

elitist classmates

Synonyms

Adjective

• aristocratic
• high-hat
• persnickety
• potty
• ritzy
• snobbish
• snobby
• snooty
• snotty
• toffee-nosed [chiefly British]

Examples of elitist in a Sentence

Adjective

the complacent, elitist attitude of the members at that suburban country club

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Republicans capitalized on this trend by depicting Democrats as out-of-touch elitists who ignored those who did not live in urban centers such as Madison or Milwaukee. —Jonathan J. Kasparek, The Conversation, 4 June 2024

So why would audiences care about a liar and cheater desperate to gain acceptance among horrible elitists at an exclusive club? —Jordan Riefe, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024

Adjective

Since #OscarsSoWhite back in 2015, the Academy has moved away from its elitist tendencies and toward embracing younger and more diverse artists and executives from all over the world. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 25 June 2024

Still, as Republicans have done for years, the Trump campaign is targeting Biden’s event on Saturday as elitist and out of touch. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1943, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing elitist

• anti-elitist