selective
adjective
se·lec·tive
sə-ˈlek-tiv 
2
: highly specific in activity or effect
selective pesticides
selective absorption
Synonyms of selective
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
In the end, there’s no ethical justification for selective hype by journals or for the lack of skepticism among journalists and researchers.
—
F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025
In a statement, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña accused the DOJ of using the selective release of Epstein documents to imply wrongdoing where there is none, challenging the department to immediately release any remaining materials mentioning or showing Bill Clinton in the files.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 23 Dec. 2025
Inventory is tight, luxury buyers are selective, and privacy has become a form of luxury in itself.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2025
Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty and has moved to dismiss the case on the grounds that the prosecution is selective and vindictive.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
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F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025
In a statement, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña accused the DOJ of using the selective release of Epstein documents to imply wrongdoing where there is none, challenging the department to immediately release any remaining materials mentioning or showing Bill Clinton in the files.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 23 Dec. 2025
Inventory is tight, luxury buyers are selective, and privacy has become a form of luxury in itself.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2025
Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty and has moved to dismiss the case on the grounds that the prosecution is selective and vindictive.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
Cite this Entry
“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
2
: highly specific in activity or effect
selective pesticides
selective permeability of a plasma membrane
selectively
adverb
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