elite
noun
[ eɪˈliːt ]
• a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.
• "the elite of Britain's armed forces"
Similar:
best,
pick,
cream,
flower,
nonpareil,
elect,
aristocracy,
nobility,
gentry,
upper class,
privileged class,
first class,
establishment,
high society,
jet set,
beautiful people,
bhadralok,
beau monde,
haut monde,
crème de la crème,
A-list,
four hundred,
• a size of letter in typewriting, with 12 characters to the inch (about 4.7 to the centimetre).
Origin:
mid 18th century: from French élite ‘selection, choice’, from élire ‘to elect’, from a variant of Latin eligere (see elect). elite (sense 2) dates from the early 20th century.
