Crowd vs. Elite — What's the Difference?

Generally speaking, a crowd is defined as a group of people that have gathered for a common purpose or intent such as at a demonstration, a sports event, or during looting (this is known as an acting crowd), or may simply be made up of many people going about their business in a busy area. The term "the crowd" may sometimes refer to the lower orders of people in general.

In political and sociological theory, the elite (French élite, from Latin eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a society. Defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, the "elite" are "those people or organizations that are considered the best or most powerful compared to others of a similar type."American sociologist C. Wright Mills states that the power elite members recognize other members' mutual exalted position in society.

A large number of persons gathered together; a throng.

A group or class of persons considered to be superior to others because of their intelligence, social standing, or wealth

The common people; the populace.

A member of such a group

A group of people united by a common characteristic, as age, interest, or vocation

The best or most skilled members of a group

A group of people attending a public function; an audience

A size of type on a typewriter, equal to 12 characters per linear inch.

A large number of things positioned or considered together.

Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.

An ancient Celtic stringed instrument that was bowed or plucked. Also called crwth.

Representing the choicest or most select of a group.

Chiefly British A fiddle.

A special group or social class of people which have a superior intellectual, social or economic status as, the elite of society.

To gather together in a limited space

Someone who is among the best at a certain task.

To move forward by pressing or shoving

(typography) A typeface with 12 characters per inch.

To force by pressing or shoving

A choice or select body; the flower; as, the élite of society.

To force away by taking up space; displace

See Army organization, Switzerland.

To draw or stand very near or too near to

A group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status

To press, cram, or force tightly together

Selected as the best;

To fill or occupy to overflowing

(Informal) To put pressure on; assail

(intransitive) To press forward; to advance by pushing.

(intransitive) To press together or collect in numbers

(transitive) To press or drive together, especially into a small space; to cram.

(transitive) To fill by pressing or thronging together

To push, to press, to shove.

(nautical) To approach another ship too closely when it has right of way.

To carry excessive sail in the hope of moving faster.

(transitive) To press by solicitation; to urge; to dun; hence, to treat discourteously or unreasonably.

To play on a crowd; to fiddle.

A group of people congregated or collected into a close body without order.

Several things collected or closely pressed together; also, some things adjacent to each other.

(with definite article) The so-called lower orders of people; the populace, vulgar.

A group of people united or at least characterised by a common interest.

(obsolete) crwth

A fiddle.

To push, to press, to shove.

To press or drive together; to mass together.

To fill by pressing or thronging together; hence, to encumber by excess of numbers or quantity.

To press by solicitation; to urge; to dun; hence, to treat discourteously or unreasonably.

To press together or collect in numbers; to swarm; to throng.

To urge or press forward; to force one's self; as, a man crowds into a room.

To play on a crowd; to fiddle.

A number of things collected or closely pressed together; also, a number of things adjacent to each other.

A number of persons congregated or collected into a close body without order; a throng.

The lower orders of people; the populace; the vulgar; the rabble; the mob.

An ancient instrument of music with six strings; a kind of violin, being the oldest known stringed instrument played with a bow.

A large number of things or people considered together;

An informal body of friends;

Cause to herd, drive, or crowd together;

Fill or occupy to the point of overflowing;

To gather together in large numbers;

Approach a certain age or speed;