elite

eɪ'liːt

eɪ'liːt

n.精英 adj.精英的；优秀的

词源

18世纪进入英语，源自法语 élite（精选、选举），来自古法语 eslite（被选出的），原指被选举的优秀者，后19世纪扩展为社会、经济或政治上的“上层精英”，常带褒贬双义。构词成分：词根 lect/elite（选择、挑选） + 无明显前缀或后缀（过去分词形式）。

外刊例句

① 《The Guardian》，2024

The former president owns a multimillion-dollar Manhattan penthouse dripping with gold, but, starting around 2015, he has carefully distanced himself from evil media and political elites.

这位前总统拥有价值数百万美元的金光闪闪的曼哈顿顶层公寓，但从2015年左右开始，他小心翼翼地与邪恶的媒体和政治精英保持距离。

② 《The New York Times》，2025

Even when they arrive at college wanting something very different, an increasing number of students at elite universities seek the imprimatur of employment by a powerful firm.

即使入学时想要完全不同的东西，越来越多精英大学的学生寻求强大公司的雇用认可。

经典名著

Jane Austen《Pride and Prejudice》，1813

Only the educational elite go to Oxford or Cambridge.

只有教育精英才能进入牛津或剑桥。

Public opinion is influenced by the small elite who control the media. 舆论受控制媒体的小型精英影响。

Usage Examples

(1) The elite are the competitive focus of 21 century.

(2) It is a luxury brand established for the elite and the affluent.

(3) It is indubitable that he is an elite in information technology.

(4) Public opinion is influenced by the small elite who control the media.

(5) This is an elite group reserved for members only.

(6) He was the product of an elite public school.

(1) 精英人才是21世纪国际间竞争的焦点。

(2) 这是一个为精英群体和富人所创设的奢侈品牌。

(3) 毫无疑问，他是信息技术界的精英。

(4) 舆论为少数控制着新闻媒介的上层人士所左右。

(5) 这是仅为会员保留的精英小组。

(6) 他毕业于一所优秀的公立学校。

Usage Notes

The elite are the group thought to be the best and having the highest status. In the middle ages, only elite men were taught to read and write.

There are elite schools, elite teams, and elite players, some really the best and some just calling themselves the best. Who can join the basketball elite besides LeBron James and Michael Jordan? That's a matter of opinion. Elite is used with a singular or plural verb, depending on whether these special people are considered together as a group or as individual members of a group.

柯林斯词典

N-COUNT 可数名词

精英；杰出人物 You can refer to the most powerful, rich, or talented people within a particular group, place, or society as the elite .

...a government comprised mainly of the elite...

主要由精英组成的政府

We have a political elite in this country.

我们国家有一群政治精英。

ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词

精英的；精锐的；最优秀的 Elite people or organizations are considered to be the best of their kind.

...the elite troops of the President's bodyguard.

精锐的总统卫队