Re: Defined
I pulled this off an internet dictionary:
^Elitist:
1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources.
2.
a. The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class.
b. Control, rule, or domination by such a group or class.^
The key word is "perceived." Usually, there's no objective reason to grant superiority to such people.
I usually use it in the "2b" sense. Most elitists seem to think their superiority gives them a mandate to run the lives of lesser people, who are just too unenlightened to make the "right" decisions for themselves.