elites

noun

plural of elite
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elites More broadly, though, these lessons aren’t just important for investors or the business elites. — D. Brian Blank, The Conversation, 29 June 2026 Germanic-speaking elites could now be found from southern Spain to the coasts of the North Sea. — Literary Hub, 25 June 2026 Social change tools once reserved for elites — academics, think tanks, publishers, media moguls — were now on everyone’s phones. — Henry De Sio, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 Studies have found that newspaper op-eds can change the minds of the general public and that messages from political elites can measurably shift public opinion. — Rob Henderson, Washington Post, 21 June 2026 The populace can only deduce that either Putin is responsible or the elites around him are insulating him from realizing and rectifying the situation. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 By leaning into uncertainty, Cobb continually negotiated the challenges of connecting global elites with local knowledge and culture and developed a host of innovative solutions. — James G. Naples, Fortune, 27 June 2026 Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, who all played big minutes versus elites, arrived at around the same place in terms of GA-60 and expected GA-60. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 26 June 2026 But these days, at one of Ukraine’s most prestigious universities, the likes of Pushkin, Chekhov, and Dostoyevsky have given way to such topics as Russian disinformation and propaganda, how its foreign intelligence operates, and understanding Russia’s elites and oligarchy. — Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elites
  1. best
  2. societies
  3. elect
Noun
  • The longer races are brutally hard, but Kerstin loves helping other runners pursue their personal bests.
    — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • The most productive game of his career came in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, with personal bests of 157 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
Definition of best
Noun
  • But even as democratic governments have become more proficient and more technologically adept at thwarting terrorists, some in our societies have become insensitive, or even callous, about the civilizational consequences of terror and violence.
    — Anne Neuberger, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
  • Many industrial societies are facing aging populations, tightening labor markets and growing shortages of skilled workers.
    — Arungalai Anbarasu, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of societies
Noun
  • But his situation is actually fairly complicated, in part because of how the Hall of Fame elects candidates.
    — James Mirtle, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • Lyons had joined Fiserv that January as president and CEO-elect.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
Definition of elect

Browse Nearby Words

elite
elites
elitist
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Cite this Entry

“Elites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elites. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on elites

Nglish: Translation of elites for Spanish Speakers

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