as in optional
subject to one's freedom of choice
a plastic surgeon who mainly does face-lifting and other kinds of elective surgery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in refresher
Related Words
2
as in option
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elective
Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
That’s when students are choosing math tracks, picking electives, and developing habits.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 4 July 2025
Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025
Because cosmetic surgery is elective, insurance doesn’t cover it.
—Fred Schulte, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for elective
Adjective
There are thousands of courses from scrappy Udemy modules to MBA electives at the Ivy Leagues teaching executives and engineers how to deploy AI in their work.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
That’s when students are choosing math tracks, picking electives, and developing habits.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 4 July 2025
Noun
The family of a Connecticut man who bled to death following elective surgery has been awarded $20 million by a jury, according to attorney and partner Kelly Fitzpatrick, of Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025
Because cosmetic surgery is elective, insurance doesn’t cover it.
—Fred Schulte, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for elective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elective
Adjective
-
Traditionally, the sandwiches are served on light, airy baguettes packed with meat, pickled veggies like carrots and cucumber, jalapeños, cilantro and optional pâté.—
Sunny Hubler,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Longtime officers get regular refreshers on these topics.—
Rebecca Santana,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Aug. 2025
-
This is, by the way, the reason for Superman releasing on home entertainment just a little more than a month after its theatrical debut, so that anyone who hasn’t seen the film yet (or who needs to see it again as a refresher) can do so before watching Peacemaker’s new season.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Residents can choose from fiber, cable, 5G wireless and satellite options.—
Kara McGinley,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Fair Park Dog Park, 300 Raines Avenue Fair Park Dog Park offers guests two options, a .60-acre artificial turf surface for large dogs and a .26-acre artificial turf park for small dogs.—
Craig Shoup,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
As of July 2025, that number surged to 451 voluntary participants — a staggering increase of over 3,500% that underscores the growing need for safeguards in the digital gambling era.—
Ethan Hylton,
IndyStar,
20 Aug. 2025
-
County executives who leave office voluntary, choose their immediate successors, according to the charter.—
Ilana Arougheti
Updated August 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
That was, of course, a major demand at the beginning.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Ahlen pointed out, this is, of course, the way science works.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Pressed for time, Elliott handed over his introductory seminar to his teaching assistant: a young Kissinger, whose reverence for Germanic philosophers Brzezinski found off-putting.—
Niall Ferguson,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
-
The seminar, which is held annually for judges interested in this conservative legal theory, was hosted by the Georgetown Center for the Constitution.—
Daniel Bice,
jsonline.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Conrad admitted to his brother and father that he’d been fired from his summer job at the clinic and is staying at Cousin’s before returning to Stanford in the fall.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Love added that nurses are needed not just in hospitals, but in nursing homes, clinics and schools as well.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Twenty years later, America remembers Katrina, too − remembers one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern U.S. history, raising questions that persist today about the crises of climate, the role of government and the nation's divides by race and class.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
-
The middle school was slated to return to class Thursday, Aug. 28, after the remediation.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elective. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share