self-select

verb

self-se·​lect ˌself-sə-ˈlekt 

self-selected; self-selecting; self-selects

1

transitive : to select (something) by or for oneself

People tend to self-select the environments that fit their needs.

—Cynthia M. Allen

2

intransitive : to select oneself as opposed to being selected

especially : to opt in or out of something (such as a group, activity, or category) in accordance with one's personality, interests, etc.

As always, remember that our Twitter polls are unscientific, because respondents self-select …

—Eric C. Evarts

We self-select into partisan echo chambers, staying far away from dissenting voices on social media and cable news.

—Brian Klaas

… a compensation structure that rewards profitable growth and encourages low performers to self-select out of the organization.

—Patrick Burke

3

intransitive : to attract or involve individuals who tend to have a particular characteristic

… analysis of social-media responses self-selects for people who actually want to share their thoughts.

—Adrian Lee

self-selected

ˌself-sə-ˈlek-təd 

adjective

a self-selected name

an unrepresentative, self-selected sampling

self-selection

ˌself-sə-ˈlek-shən 

noun

plural self-selections

student self-selection of reading materials

self-selection of survey respondents

The method helped researchers rule out self-selection bias, or the possibility that people who seek out dental care are different—perhaps healthier in general—than those who don't.

—Sarah Yang

Examples of self-select in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

McLaren is reportedly a bit less selective than, say, Ferrari, in who gets to buy its cars, but those with the money and interest tend to be a self-selecting group anyway. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2024

But as recent biennials’ knack for controversy proves, the show still registers the cultural and civil mood of its self-selecting audience. —Martha Schwendener, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024

The researchers also note that users may self-select to mostly follow politically biased news sources. —Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 23 Jan. 2023

College?) would draw an insular, self-selecting crowd; instead, the video has 10 million views and counting, largely because Brewis is really, really, really, really, really good at making videos. —Vulture, 22 Dec. 2023

Writers of all ages responded well to the ability to self-select their picket site for the day, and that also helped members make powerful bonds that will likely them well in their careers. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023

In fact, this kind of career might self-select for a disproportionate number of founders. —Christina Farr, STAT, 9 Nov. 2023

That is the target audience for your wild encounters with the trail, not some self-selecting group of existing outdoors enthusiasts. —Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 13 Apr. 2023

Sociopaths and psychopaths self-select as our unnatural leaders while empathic and intellectually generous candidates are excluded by a political system that favours corporate greed over prosocial actions. —Hazlitt, 27 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1