a small group of people in a society, etc. who are powerful and have a lot of influence, because they are rich, intelligent, etc.a member of the ruling/intellectual elitePublic opinion is influenced by the small elite who control the media.In these countries, only the elite can afford an education for their children.Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjectivegoverning,power,ruling,…verb + elitecreate,form,join,…phrasesa member of an eliteSeefull entrySee related entries:Social justiceWord Originlate 18th cent.: from French élite ‘selection, choice’, from élire ‘to elect’, from a variant of Latin eligere, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out’ + legere ‘to pick’.Wordfindersocietycivil rights,class,conform,convention,culture,custom,elite,equality,outsider,societyExtra examplesHe was an influential member of the ruling elite.These people form an elite who have the power to make decisions.a club for members of the business elitethe European Union’s technocratic elitesCultural centres should not just be for the use of a social elite.He came from the country’s intellectual elite.The global elite has held meetings there since 1873.
See elite in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishSee elite in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
