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

Some children are selective eaters or dislike traditional breakfast foods. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026

Those slots go to Chicago Public Schools’ selective enrollment schools, such as Northside College Prep, which ranked number one in the state among public schools, and Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, which came in second. — Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

International applications to the most selective schools, those that accept fewer than a quarter of their applicants, fell by just 1%, whereas those accepting more than half of applicants saw a roughly 20% drop, according to the study. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Beijing’s enforcement, although real, is selective and partial because elements of the illicit economy serve the country’s larger strategic goals, such as sustaining trade with Russia while maintaining distance from the war in Ukraine. — Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 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