elitist

/ɪˈliɾɪst/

/ɪˈlitɪst/

Other forms: elitists

Elitist is another word for snob. If you wear only the finest silk suits, expect caviar at every meal, and refuse to speak to anyone who doesn't have a PhD, then you might be an elitist.

A fairly recent addition to the English language, the noun elitist, came about from a mix of elite + ist in 1950. Carlyle, Freud, and Nietzsche were all considered to be the original elitists. Elite, from which elitist was formed, evolved much earlier, in 1823, from the French élite, meaning “selection, choice.” Synonyms for elitist include highbrow, pompous person, social climber, and stuffed shirt.

Definitions of elitist

1. noun

   one who is biased in favor of those with high status
   type of:

   prig, snob, snoot, snot

   a person regarded as arrogant and annoying
2. noun

   someone who believes in rule by an elite group
   antonyms:

   egalitarian

   a person who believes in the equality of all people

   types:

   mandarin

   a member of an elite intellectual or cultural group

   type of:

   moralist

   a philosopher who specializes in morals and moral problems
3. adjective

   tending to associate only with people of a similar background and not with those considered inferior
   synonyms: clannish, cliquish, clubby, snobbish, snobby

   private

   confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
4. adjective

   favoring those who have wealth or high status