ELECTIVE Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

elective 1 of 2

adjective

i-ˈlek-tiv

Definition of elective

as in optional

subject to one's freedom of choice a plastic surgeon who mainly does face-lifting and other kinds of elective surgery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

elective

2 of 2

noun

as in refresher

Related Words

as in option

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of elective

Adjective

For comparison, in France, elective egg freezing is fully covered by the country's public health insurance. — Annie Nova, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026 Wyman’s elective career spanned 40 years, beginning with her election in 1979 to the Board of Education in Tolland. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026

Noun

In that reunion outside the hospital, Robby shows interest in whether or not Mohan had any luck picking an elective. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026 The district already offered personal finance as an elective before the statewide requirement went into effect. — P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elective

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elective

Adjective

An optional Extended Port provides extra floor space that can serve as an office, additional guest room, or storage area for outdoor gear.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026
An on-site spa and an extensive complimentary wellness program include daily yoga, Pilates, meditation, strength training, sound healing, and wellness workshops, but participation is entirely optional.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of optional

Noun

Coke is also investing in developing new beverages beyond its core soda offerings, including refreshers and dirty sodas.

— Jacob Pramuk, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
For those who need a refresher on the late princess’s upbringing, Diana Spencer was born in 1961 to John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, and Frances Roche.

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of refresher

Adjective

The bill’s guardrails are voluntary, the chief critique of Senate Democrats, but are aimed at blocking those energy spikes.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
During that time, its activities will be funded by voluntary contributions from Adidas, H&M Group, Inditex and Bestseller, but the hope is that other brands join too, and the blueprint is eventually embedded in EPR policies across the EU.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of voluntary

Noun

Potentially lifesaving and cost-saving decisions to shorten courses, redistribute staff, streamline, or expand resources could come from quantified inputs, in conjunction with prior experience.

— Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Trump did note that Netanyahu has shown resilience over the course of his political career.

— SEUNG MIN KIM, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of course

Noun

The organization hosts conferences, seminars and a mentoring program to help educators promote into leadership roles.

— Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Anti-Defimation League (ADL) research has found a pattern of students being asked to speak on behalf of Israel or the Jewish community, effectively positioning them as representatives of a government rather than students in a seminar.

— Jonathan Greenblatt, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of seminar

Noun

Co-founded in Beverly Hills by Michelle Tang and Ron Sonnenberg, IMA ART is neither an IVF clinic nor a traditional surrogacy agency.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2026
The biohacking and antiaging clinic has built a reputation for its advanced technologies, cutting-edge protocols and signature rejuvenation treatments that combine detox, meditation and cryotherapy.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of clinic

Noun

Researchers at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have discovered that passing waves through a special class of synthetic media forces them to abandon chaotic scattering entirely.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
Many identified themselves as teachers, noting that pandemic-era disruptions to in-class learning severely worsened reading deficits.

— Chris Fusco, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of class

Browse Nearby Words

elections

elective

electively

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Elective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elective. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of elective

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

heterodox

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes