power elite

American  

noun

1. a closely knit alliance of military, government, and corporate officials perceived as the center of wealth and political power in the U.S.

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power elite Cultural  

1. A term used by the American sociologist (see sociology) C. Wright Mills to describe a relatively small, loosely knit group of people who tend to dominate American policymaking. This group includes bureaucratic, corporate, intellectual, military, and government elites who control the principal institutions in the United States and whose opinions and actions influence the decisions of the policymakers.

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Etymology

Origin of power elite

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

As for lifetime achievement honors, Robert Smigel presented Stephen Colbert with the Walter Bernstein Award for critiquing the power elite on his late-night show, which will air its final episode in May.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2026

Jeff Daniels stars as Charlie Croker, an Atlanta real estate mogul under investigation for gross financial mismanagement, who tries to bargain his way out of trouble by trading favors with the city’s power elite.

From New York Times • May 1, 2024

The new surveys obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive appear to support claims previously made by plaintiffs in the case that Nike’s problems were connected to the company’s power elite.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2024

The most serious crimes are those that are normalized by the power elite, regardless of who initiated them.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2023

A final observation is that the power elite, those who determine the SWF, might enjoy unemployment of a section of the population for some strange other reason.

From Definition & Reality in the General Theory of Political Economy by Colignatus, Thomas

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