elitist
1 of 2noun
elit·ist ā-ˈlē-tist 
i-,
ē-
plural elitists
1
: one who is an adherent of elitism : one whose attitudes and beliefs are biased in favor of a socially elite class of people
On many issues, they seem to be populists rather than elitists—believers that people can make decisions for themselves better than elites can.
Michael Barone
Michael BaroneDerided by elitists as phony, the … movement is spontaneous, decentralized, frequently amateurish and sometimes shrill. Karl Rove
Karl Rove2
: a person who is or regards himself or herself as a member of a socially elite group
He's too rich, too polished—he's an elitist in a party that has become home to disaffected white, working-class voters. Joe Klein
Joe KleinHe was an elitist, who esteemed himself better than Americans from most classes of the population. Louis Filler
Louis Fillerelitist
2 of 2adjective
: of or relating to elites or elitism: such as
a
: giving special treatment and advantages to wealthy and powerful people
elitist colleges
an elitist country club
Cosmetic surgery is still mostly an elitist preoccupation … Toni Bentley
Toni Bentley b
: regarding other people as inferior because they lack power, wealth, or status : snobbish
an elitist snob
elitist classmates
Synonyms
Adjective
- aristocratic
- high-hat
- persnickety
- potty
- ritzy
- snobbish
- snobby
- snooty
- snotty
- toffee-nosed [chiefly British]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1943, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing elitist
elitists
noun
as in snobs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- snobs
- social climbers
- snots
- name-droppers
- snoots