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
Other selective institutions that dropped testing around the same time — many for reasons related to pandemic disruptions — have reversed course.
—
Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Conceiving and creating every garment entirely in Italy, the label focuses on selective sourcing, using exceptional fabrics from renowned silk mills and textile manufacturers in the country.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
By maintaining a selective client base, boutique wealth firms can dedicate greater attention to each family's financial structure, estate considerations, philanthropic objectives and multigenerational planning needs.
—Elie Nour, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
These involve removal of thorium from REE containing acidic solution, as well as the selective extraction of REEs using oxalic acid.
—Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for selective
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Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Conceiving and creating every garment entirely in Italy, the label focuses on selective sourcing, using exceptional fabrics from renowned silk mills and textile manufacturers in the country.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
By maintaining a selective client base, boutique wealth firms can dedicate greater attention to each family's financial structure, estate considerations, philanthropic objectives and multigenerational planning needs.
—Elie Nour, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
These involve removal of thorium from REE containing acidic solution, as well as the selective extraction of REEs using oxalic acid.
—Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 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 Jun. 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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