Elitisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Behaviors or attitudes characterized by a sense of superiority and exclusivity in a social or intellectual context; expressions or practices that promote or reflect elitist values; instances where individuals or groups prioritize privilege or high status as a defining trait
2. Actions or viewpoints that convey an elevated social or intellectual position, often excluding others; forms of conduct that emphasize belonging to a select or superior group; manifestations of preferential treatment or mindset favoring an elite class
3. The tendency to adopt a superior demeanor or exclusive stance in social or cultural interactions; practices that highlight distinction based on perceived higher merit or refinement; behaviors that assert dominance or preference for an exclusive, privileged group

Etymology: Elitisms is simply the plural of "elitism", so the plural tells us little beyond the number of distinct systems being discussed. The root is a Latin chain: "elite" came into English from French, where it had been borrowed from Latin "eligere", meaning "to choose out", and Latin "eligere" was built from "ex-" ("out") and "legere" ("to choose, gather"). The meaning of "choosing out" survives in the idea of a select group picked from the rest. The suffix "-ism" comes from Greek "-ismos", which turned an action or state into a doctrine or system. Attaching it to "elite" produced "elitism", a word first recorded in English in the 1930s. The noun therefore names a principle or system in which power rests with a chosen few, and the plural "elitisms" refers to several such systems, each built on that principle.

Synonyms: elitism, snobbery, exclusivism, classism, superiority complex

Antonyms: egalitarianism, democratism, populism, inclusiveness, equality