selective

adjective

se·​lec·​tive sə-ˈlek-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by selection : selecting or tending to select

2

: highly specific in activity or effect

selective pesticides

selective absorption

selectively adverb

selectiveness noun

selectivity

sə-ˌlek-ˈti-və-tē 

ˌsē-

noun

Synonyms of selective

• particular
• choosy
• picky
• nice

Examples of selective in a Sentence

The club is selective in choosing members.

The college has a highly selective admissions process.

Recent Examples on the Web

As shoppers become more discerning, retailers are becoming more selective about what earns shelf space. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 21 July 2026

The Second Cocktail Is Already Harder To Sell Restaurants were seeing more selective drinking before GLP-1 use reached its current scale. — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

The exam is indisputably difficult for highly selective schools such as Seoul National, Korea University, and Yonsei, which are collectively referred to by the acronym SKY. — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 19 July 2026

Angel Reese is black, and the internet has selective hearing. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing selective

• selective breeding
• selective estrogen receptor modulator
• selective memory
• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
• selective service

Rhymes for selective

• advective
• affective
• collective
• connective
• convective
• corrective
• defective
• detective
• directive
• effective
• elective
• infective

Kids Definition

selective

adjective

se·​lec·​tive sə-ˈlek-tiv 

: of or relating to selection : selecting or tending to select

selective shoppers

Medical Definition

selective

adjective

se·​lec·​tive sə-ˈlek-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by selection : selecting or tending to select

2

: highly specific in activity or effect

selective pesticides

selective permeability of a plasma membrane

selectively adverb