elitär
exclusive
Belonging to an elite or intended only for a small, specially selected group.
EXAMPLE
Der Club gilt als elitär und nimmt nur wenige neue Mitglieder auf.
The club is considered exclusive and admits only a few new members.
elitär
exclusive / elitist
elitär – elitärer – am elitärsten
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Meanings
elitär
elitist
Holding the view that a small social group is superior to others or should have special privileges. In this sense, the word is usually used critically.
EXAMPLE
Seine elitäre Haltung gegenüber Menschen mit wenig Geld wurde scharf kritisiert.
His elitist attitude toward people with little money was sharply criticized.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry elitär, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | elitär |
|---|---|
| comparative | elitärer |
| superlative | am elitärsten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to elitär.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to elitär.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to elitär.
Usage tips
Context clues
For institutions or events, references to access and selection indicate which meaning of 'elitär' (exclusive / elitist) is intended. For people, words such as 'Auftreten' (manner), 'Denken' (thinking), or 'Ton' (tone) often indicate that their attitude toward others is being judged.
EXAMPLE
Das Internat gilt wegen seiner strengen Aufnahmebedingungen als elitär.
The boarding school is considered exclusive because of its strict admission requirements.
Ihr elitärer Ton kam bei den Zuhörern schlecht an.
Her elitist tone did not go down well with the audience.
Typical collocations
Common collocations include 'ein elitärer Kreis' (an exclusive circle), 'ein elitärer Club' (an exclusive club), and 'eine elitäre Bildungseinrichtung' (an exclusive educational institution). In particular, 'in einem elitären Kreis verkehren' (to mix in an exclusive circle) is a typical expression when discussing social contacts.
EXAMPLE
Seit seinem beruflichen Aufstieg verkehrt er in einem elitären Kreis.
Since moving up in his career, he has been mixing in an exclusive circle.
Typical collocations
Typical collocations used to criticize an attitude include 'elitäres Denken' (elitist thinking), 'elitäres Auftreten' (elitist behavior), and 'eine elitäre Haltung' (an elitist attitude). The expression 'jemandem elitäres Denken vorwerfen' (to accuse someone of elitist thinking) identifies the person being criticized; that person is in the dative case.
EXAMPLE
Die Studierenden warfen dem Professor elitäres Denken vor.
The students accused the professor of elitist thinking.
In real life
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