What does elite mean?
Word: Elite
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Elite means belonging to the small group that is the best, most skilled or most powerful.
Synonyms: top, best, select
Antonyms: common
How do you spell elite?
Syllables: e - lite
Tricky part: We say ih-leet, but the ee sound is spelt with an i, and the word finishes with a silent e, as in machine.
Watch out for: elete, ileet, eleat
Memory tip: Elite came from French, and in French spelling the letter i often says ee, as it does in police. Picture the police elite squad to remember it.
Elite in a sentence
Example 1: Only elite athletes qualify for the Olympic Games.
Example 2: My brother was picked for an elite coaching group for young cricketers.
Example 3: The elite rescue team reached the flooded village by boat.
Fun Fact
Elite and eligible are word cousins: both go back to the Latin eligere, meaning to choose, so the elite are the chosen few.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
elite
a) finest
b) ordinary
c) leading
d) chosen
Show answer
b) ordinary. Elite means the very best few, while ordinary means just like everyone else.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) routine
b) magazine
c) elite
d) antiqe
Show answer
d) antiqe. Antique keeps a u after the q; elite, magazine and routine are spelt correctly.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
elitte
a) t
b) i
c) l
d) e
Show answer
a) t. One t is enough, and the e after it makes the i say ee.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tilee
a) delete
b) elect
c) title
d) elite
Show answer
d) elite. Title needs a second t, elect a c and delete a d, so the five letters make elite.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An elite school is one that ____.
a) has no exams or tests at all
b) takes only the very top students
c) has just been built in the town
d) lets in anyone who wants to join
Show answer
b) takes only the very top students
2. Which group would you call elite?
a) the crowd walking round a village fair
b) the passengers waiting at a bus stop
c) the ten best young scientists in the country
d) the people who missed the morning train
Show answer
c) the ten best young scientists in the country
