as in aristocracies
individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class
the winners of this science award represent the elite of our high schools
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Recent Examples of elites
Thousands of media and political elites have now gone through what countless millions of other Americans have experienced in their schools, offices, malls and churches.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
India bristles as Pakistan has its diplomatic moment Indian political elites are discomforted by regional rival Pakistan’s outsized role in US-Iran peace talks, but there are some bright spots for New Delhi, analysts argued.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The ongoing outcry surrounding Jeffrey Epstein is on some level a reckoning with the scourge of child abuse and the impunity of the elites.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
In some cases, those corporate leaders are the government, with Carney tapping a series of old colleagues and business elites for key economic posts.
—Christine Dobby, Bloomberg, 24 Apr. 2026
How do elites double their wealth every year while living standards for the rest of the country fall?
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
The water conflict had deep roots in the country's civil war, which pitted the military and Ladino elites against Mayan indigenous groups.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
The former shared their hobby with Javanese aristocrats and other elites, and the latter collaborated with local artisans who supplied the materials to serve Indonesian customers.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 17 Apr. 2026
Despite being an oil-producing country experiencing modest economic growth, young people say the benefits have not trickled down beyond the elites.
—Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
India bristles as Pakistan has its diplomatic moment Indian political elites are discomforted by regional rival Pakistan’s outsized role in US-Iran peace talks, but there are some bright spots for New Delhi, analysts argued.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The ongoing outcry surrounding Jeffrey Epstein is on some level a reckoning with the scourge of child abuse and the impunity of the elites.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
In some cases, those corporate leaders are the government, with Carney tapping a series of old colleagues and business elites for key economic posts.
—Christine Dobby, Bloomberg, 24 Apr. 2026
How do elites double their wealth every year while living standards for the rest of the country fall?
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
The water conflict had deep roots in the country's civil war, which pitted the military and Ladino elites against Mayan indigenous groups.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
The former shared their hobby with Javanese aristocrats and other elites, and the latter collaborated with local artisans who supplied the materials to serve Indonesian customers.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 17 Apr. 2026
Despite being an oil-producing country experiencing modest economic growth, young people say the benefits have not trickled down beyond the elites.
—Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elites
Noun
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Cuevas produced solid numbers last season with the Tide — 37 receptions, 411 yards, four TDs — and had career bests in 2022 at Cal Poly (58 catches, 678 yards, six TDs).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
In 1971, the Osmonds tallied nine gold records, surpassing single-year bests by Elvis and the Beatles.—
Maria Sherman,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Known as the godfather of public relations, Bernays explained how the unconscious element of people in democratic societies could be manipulated.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Trade during the Bronze Age significantly influenced the structures of early societies.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Obama’s staff would look less amused a few weeks later, as their boss hosted President-elect Trump at the White House.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Hungarian premier-elect Peter Magyar’s incoming cabinet plans to cut taxes for low earners and held talks to repair ties with banks that frayed under Viktor Orban’s tumultuous 16 years in power.—
Andras Gergely,
Bloomberg,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elites. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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