elite

Etymology

From Middle English elit, from Old French elit, eslit (“chosen, elected”) past participle of elire, eslire (“to choose, elect”), from Latin eligere (“to choose, elect”), with past participle electus; see elect.

adj

1. Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.
2. Representing the choicest or most select of a group.
   Not since Coventry in 1992 has a Premier League side kicked off a campaign with an all-English XI but things have reached the point where, of the 61 signings who have cost the elite division's 20 clubs a transfer fee this summer, only 12 have involved Englishmen. 20 August 2013, Louise Taylor, The Guardian

noun

1. A special group or social class of people which have a superior intellectual, social or economic status as, the elite of society.
   "Mujtahidd" has attracted almost 300,000 followers since the end of last year, when he began posting scandalous claims about the Saudi elite. In one tweet, Mujtahidd directly challenged Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd about his political history: "Did you resign or were you forced to resign from your post as head of the diwan [office] of the council of ministers?" April 19, 2012, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in the Guardian
2. Someone who is among the best at a certain task.
   The Nations League results have also seen England respond to an ongoing criticism that they fail to beat the top sides, with even Southgate insisting they could not be considered among the world's elite until they beat the best. The World Cup did nothing to answer those questions. November 18, 2018, Phil McNulty, “England 2 - 1 Croatia”, in BBC Sport
   Is there a nobler or more disinterested aim than to educate the cadres, the elites of tomorrow? 7 Aug 1964, “France's Culture Corps”, in Time
3. (typography) A typeface with 12 characters per inch.
   Coordinate term: pica