What does 'Elite' mean to you?

Question

You heat that word a lot nowadays, mostly in a negative context. The word used to have a mostly positive context. Funny, I'm old enough to remember it from the old computer hacker/pirate days when being an Elite was considered an honor. I'm curious what connotation the word has for people and their reaction to the way it's used now.

Answer 1

Weird, because it does mean 'choice', not so odd if you feel you can't afford your choices.  

I've heard it used in a hard-sell context - "This gym/car/watch is for the elite." If you think about it, it's really a way of turning a disadvantage (the high cost) into a selling point, the idea being that you can buy status, if you want to impress greedy people.  

Answer 2

Elite (also spelled Élite) is taken originally from the Latin, eligere, "to elect". In sociology as in general usage, the élite is a relatively small dominant group within a large society, which enjoys a privileged status envied by individuals of lower social status.

Answer 3

To me, elite means to be at the top of your game, pretty much the best.

Answer 4

Marketing term for high price item

Answer 5

Elite means to me being the top-uppermost at whatever you percieve yourself to be.  Or whatever other people percieve as the best that one can be.  I have not run into anyone who thinks that being part of the "elite" is a negative, but possibly I am still living in the past.

Answer 6

idk but i know in dance the scoring elite gold is high gold so mabey it means high lol

Answer 7

I am not  aware if the word 'elite' has taken up any negative meaning now. but to my knowledge, you can refer to the most powerful, rich, or talented people, within a particular group, place or society, as the elite. Elite people or organizations are considered to be the best of their kind.

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Answer 8

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