Best of the Carmelites (5)
I believe the answer is:
elite
'best' is the definition.
(elite can mean the very best of a group)
'of the carmelites' is the wordplay.
'of' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'ELITE' is hidden in the letters of 'carmelites'.
(Other definitions for elite that I've seen before include "Creme de la creme" , "Best, privileged, group" , "one of the letter sizes" , "Superior group in society" , "Aristocratic" .)