elite

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

adj. select, choice, prime. —n. [the] elect, choice, cream, flower; chosen people; inner circle, aristocracy, beau or haut monde; the four hundred; cream of the crop, crème de la crème. See superiority, goodness.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. upper class, ruling class, power elite, cream; see aristocracy , best .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

the best, the greatest, *upper crust, aristocracy, *creme de la creme, high society, gentry, blue bloods, nobility, clique, *haut monde, pick.

ANT.: the dregs, working class, lower class

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I (or elite) noun 1. People of the highest social level: aristocracy, blue blood, creme de la creme, flower, gentility, gentry, nobility, patriciate, quality, society, upper class, who's who. Informal: upper crust. See OVER. 2. The superlative or most preferable part of something: best, choice, cream, creme de la creme, flower, pick, prize1, top. Idioms: cream of the crop, flower of the flock, pick of the bunch (or crop) . See BETTER. II (or elite) adjective Of high birth or social position: aristocratic, blue-blooded, highborn, highbred, noble, patrician, thoroughbred, upper-class, wellborn. Informal: upper-crust. See OVER.