selective
adjective
se·lec·tive
sə-ˈlek-tiv 
2
: highly specific in activity or effect
selective pesticides
selective absorption
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
Turn those LinkedIn notifications from time-wasters into revenue opportunities by being ruthlessly selective about who gets your attention.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
To their chagrin, Trump showed that the selective use of force can achieve desirable outcomes and advance U.S. interests.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 24 June 2025
Full disclosure, from the outset, is preferable to selective, partial disclosures designed to obfuscate and protect a candidate from public scrutiny.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
So, there were selective leaks that yeah, look at what's going on over the Pacific when in reality these aircraft took off and flew east, over the Atlantic, across the Mediterranean to conduct their attack.
—ABC News, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
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Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
To their chagrin, Trump showed that the selective use of force can achieve desirable outcomes and advance U.S. interests.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 24 June 2025
Full disclosure, from the outset, is preferable to selective, partial disclosures designed to obfuscate and protect a candidate from public scrutiny.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
So, there were selective leaks that yeah, look at what's going on over the Pacific when in reality these aircraft took off and flew east, over the Atlantic, across the Mediterranean to conduct their attack.
—ABC News, 22 June 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 30 Jun. 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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