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

The human neurons suffered severe, selective damage, mimicking the cellular breakdown that causes cerebral palsy in human infants during difficult childbirths. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

Instead, Cramer said history shows the importance of becoming more selective and being prepared for market leadership to change as the cycle progresses. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Discernment, and being selective about which investments earn their place on the road map, is one of the clearest ways a technology leader signals that the interests of the business and its end users come first. — Ashish Agarwal, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Lehigh University is a selective Pennsylvania institution that does well in college rankings – but usually not as well as the University of Chicago or Columbia. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 15 Sep. 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