Elitist

//ɪˈliːtɪst// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Someone who believes in or is perceived as believing in rule by an elite group. derogatory, usually

    "Narrators demonstrated resistance coping techniques through direct confrontation with aggressors, such as racists, sexists, homophobes, elitists, and misogynoirists."

  2. 2
    someone who believes in rule by an elite group wordnet
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of or relating to elitism.

    "And unlike his Davis, California homey DJ Shadow, who smothers tracks with avant-garde displays of turntable mastery, Mike isn't afraid to let his B-boy bouillabaisse coalesce into real bootylicious grooves that are more about moving the crowd than wowing elitist nerds who crowd around the DJ booth."

Synonyms

All synonyms
aristocraticbrahmindictatorialeggheadhigh and mightyhighbrow

Example

More examples

"The words "elitist" and "elitism" are often used by anti-intellectuals."

Etymology

From elite + -ist.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.