noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ɪˈliːtɪzəm/
/eɪˈliːtɪzəm/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:EH1 L IH0 T IH2 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:EY0 L IY1 T IH2 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The belief that a society or system should be run by an elite.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The superior attitude or behaviour associated with an elite.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the attitude that society should be governed by an elite group of individuals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: political orientation, ideology, political theory
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵh Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵhs Proto-Italic *eks Latin ex Latin ex- Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *léǵeti Proto-Italic *legō Latin legō Latin ēligō Latin ēlēctus Vulgar Latin *exlectus? Old French eslitbor. Middle English elit English elite Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English elitism From elite + -ism. First attested in the 1930s.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نُخْبَوِيَّة
(nuḵbawiyya)
— belief society should be run by elite
Bengali:
এলিটিজম
(eliṭijom)
— belief society should be run by elite
Catalan:
elitisme
— belief society should be run by elite
Chinese Mandarin:
精英主義 /精英主义
(jīngyīngzhǔyì)
— belief society should be run by elite
Czech:
elitářství
— belief society should be run by elite
Dutch:
elitisme
— belief society should be run by elite
Dutch:
elitarisme
— belief society should be run by elite
Finnish:
elitismi
— belief society should be run by elite
French:
élitisme
— belief society should be run by elite
German:
Elitarismus
— belief society should be run by elite
Greek:
ελιτισμός
(elitismós)
— belief society should be run by elite
Icelandic:
úrvalsstefna
— belief society should be run by elite
Italian:
elitismo
— belief society should be run by elite
Japanese:
エリート主義
(erītoshugi)
— belief society should be run by elite
Khmer:
វរជននិយម
(vôrôchnônĭymô)
— belief society should be run by elite
Korean:
엘리트주의
(elliteujuui)
— belief society should be run by elite
Northern Kurdish:
bijareyîtî
— belief society should be run by elite
Malayalam:
എലിറ്റിസം
(eliṟṟisaṁ)
— belief society should be run by elite
Persian:
نخبهگرایی
(noxbe-garâyi)
— belief society should be run by elite
Polish:
elityzm
— belief society should be run by elite
Portuguese:
elitismo
— belief society should be run by elite
Russian:
элитари́зм
(elitarízm)
— belief society should be run by elite
Russian:
элити́зм
(elitízm)
— belief society should be run by elite
Russian:
элита́рность
(elitárnostʹ)
— belief society should be run by elite
Spanish:
elitismo
— belief society should be run by elite
Swedish:
elitism
— belief society should be run by elite
Tamil:
எளிடிசம்
(eḷiṭicam)
— belief society should be run by elite
Tatar:
элитизм
(elitizm)
— belief society should be run by elite
Turkish:
elitizm
— belief society should be run by elite
Turkmen:
elitizm
— belief society should be run by elite
