Very best among pre-Raphaelites (5)

I believe the answer is:

elite

'very best' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'among pre-raphaelites' is the wordplay.
'among' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'ELITE' is hidden within 'pre raphaelites'.

(Other definitions for elite that I've seen before include "A privileged or superior social group" , "12 letters = 1 inch (type)" , "Cream, the pick" , "Exclusive group" , "Letter size; superior group" .)

I've seen this clue in The Everyman puzzle in The Observer.

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