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
The charges against both of them were dismissed before courts could rule on their selective prosecution arguments.
—
Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The voting machine company asked a judge to dismiss foreign bribery charges filed against it last year, alleging a vindictive and selective prosecution.
—Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Reduce this mowing hassle with selective pruning.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026
In a statement late Monday, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert did not directly address the selective tours described in the emails but said the work was part of due diligence authorized by the council.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for selective
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Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The voting machine company asked a judge to dismiss foreign bribery charges filed against it last year, alleging a vindictive and selective prosecution.
—Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Reduce this mowing hassle with selective pruning.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026
In a statement late Monday, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert did not directly address the selective tours described in the emails but said the work was part of due diligence authorized by the council.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for selective
Cite this Entry
“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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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