selective

adjective se·lec·tive \ sə-ˈlek-tiv \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: selective in a Sentence

Definition of selective

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

2 : highly specific in activity or effect

selective pesticides

selective absorption

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selectively

adverb

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selectiveness

noun

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selectivity

play \sə-ˌlek-ˈti-və-tē, ˌsē-\ noun

See selective defined for English-language learners

See selective defined for kids

Examples of selective in a Sentence

The club is selective in choosing members.
The college has a highly selective admissions process.

Recent Examples of selective from the Web

Besides being more selective about the number of events to attend, Wenstrup rarely promotes his public appearances ahead of the event.

— jason williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX column: Why you won’t see Greater Cincinnati Congressman in many parades this summer," 14 June 2018
But selective enforcement is always problematic, and Small, who lives in Jamaica Plain, also thought suspending the high school students over cigars was bonkers.

— nestor ramos, BostonGlobe.com, "Yes, suspending the Saugus athletes was dumb. But there’s something tone deaf about all this," 6 June 2018
Just like the current system for the five academies, the admissions process would be selective.

— rafael guerrero, Elgin Courier-News, "Parents question plan for system requiring District U46 students to pick career path in middle school," 2 June 2018
No schedule of fines exists that would give players notice of the price of their activism, making the policy a prime candidate for selective enforcement.

— jay willis, GQ, "Why the NFL's New Anthem Policy Is Beyond Stupid, Explained," 24 May 2018
Several people in Fort Worth claimed that selective enforcement of a dress code by the Varsity Tavern's bouncers amounted to racial discrimination.

— jerod macdonald-evoy, azcentral, "Bar with eyes on Tempe accused of racial discrimination at Texas location," 4 May 2018
The iPhone-maker also has been selective with acquisitions.

— tom metcalf, Bloomberg.com, "Apple Is the Richest Company, So Where Are the Billionaires?," 11 Apr. 2018
As part of his plea agreement, in fact, Mayfield dropped his pending motion to dismiss the indictment against him for racially selective law enforcement.

— jason meisner, chicagotribune.com, "Man could soon be released from prison in latest fallout from ATF's controversial stash house stings," 20 Mar. 2018
Finding the right partner to work with isn't about choice or being selective, but something that their lives depend on.

— georgia murray, refinery29.com, "These Brands Go One Step Beyond Donations To Empower Women Globally," 8 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'selective.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of selective

1625

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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selective Synonyms

SELECTIVE Defined for English Language Learners

selective

adjective

Definition of selective for English Language Learners

: careful to choose only the best people or things
: involving the selection of people or things from a group

SELECTIVE Defined for Kids

selective

adjective se·lec·tive \ sə-ˈlek-tiv \

Definition of selective for Students

: careful to choose or include only the best or most suitable individuals

a selective college

Medical Dictionary

selective

adjective se·lec·tive \ sə-ˈlek-tiv \

medical Definition of selective

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

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See words that rhyme with selective Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for selective Spanish Central: Translation of selective Nglish: Translation of selective for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of selective for Arabic speakers

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selective

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selective

medical Definition of selective

selectively

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