Meaning & use
elitism
The belief or attitude that a small group of people, considered superior in ability, intelligence, or status, should have more power or privileges than others.
See it in a sentence
Critics accused the exclusive club of elitism for rejecting anyone without an expensive membership fee.
The university faced backlash for what students called academic elitism in its admissions process.
A note on using this word
Elitism is almost always used critically, describing an attitude seen as unfairly exclusionary rather than one held by the person using the word.
Words with a similar meaning
snobberyexclusivity
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
egalitarianism
Make it your own
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