Home › Glossary › Letter L

literary elite

Concept
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A cultural class of intellectuals and writers with literary influence

Detailed Definition
Literary elite denotes the influential circle of critics, academics, publishers, and award-givers who shape poetic taste, canon formation, and institutional recognition; their judgments often determine which poets gain prominence, sometimes at the expense of marginalized or experimental voices outside mainstream networks.
Example
Example in poetry:
literary elite (The influential group of critics, academics, and poets who often determine which works are deemed 'important'); Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award judges; Tenured professors on university literature committees; Editors of major, high-prestige literary journals
Additional Notes
literary elite: The influential group of critics, academics, and poets who historically or currently hold the power to shape literary tastes, determine the literary canon, and grant prestige to certain poetic styles or works.
Also Known As
Literary aristocracy Prestige circle Cultural elite Clerisy
Skip to main content