as in undiscriminating
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Recent Examples of unselective
The kind of person, in other words, who these days tends to start a college career—typically at an unselective school—but all-too-often ends up dropping out.
—
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2012
The cult film Idiocracy (2006) imagines a future in which Americans' mental capacities have been degraded by generations of pop culture, junk food, and–how to put this delicately–unselective breeding.
—Samuel Goldman, The Week, 1 Mar. 2022
With an unselective online-only model seeking to scale rapidly, Lambda is likely to end up somewhere between (free) MOOCs and (costly) for-profit online universities, which – given its ISA model – sounds about right.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 28 May 2021
Its wide muzzle suggests unselective bulk-feeding on grasses and low-growing herbs.
—Smithsonian, 8 May 2018
But Pakistani officials went to pains to say the toll was unselective, with Muslims and Christians among the dead and bereaved.
—Daniyal Hassan, Naila Inayat and Salman Masood, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2016
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2012
The cult film Idiocracy (2006) imagines a future in which Americans' mental capacities have been degraded by generations of pop culture, junk food, and–how to put this delicately–unselective breeding.
—Samuel Goldman, The Week, 1 Mar. 2022
With an unselective online-only model seeking to scale rapidly, Lambda is likely to end up somewhere between (free) MOOCs and (costly) for-profit online universities, which – given its ISA model – sounds about right.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 28 May 2021
Its wide muzzle suggests unselective bulk-feeding on grasses and low-growing herbs.
—Smithsonian, 8 May 2018
But Pakistani officials went to pains to say the toll was unselective, with Muslims and Christians among the dead and bereaved.
—Daniyal Hassan, Naila Inayat and Salman Masood, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unselective
Adjective
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What happened in the court, instead, was part of a long overdue reckoning about the country’s obsession with seduction, the uncritical adulation of its artists and the stalling in France of the #MeToo movement.—
Catherine Porter,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
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The concern is not that AI is inherently detrimental, but rather the potential for its uncritical and pervasive use to lead to a form of agency decay – a diminished capacity for independent thought, problem-solving, and creative generation when the first and easiest solution is to defer to an AI.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The prime time talent show is once again ruining our viewing of acts by constantly cutting in reaction shots of the audience, hosts and random people.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 June 2025
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There is also the potential random hijacking of energy cargoes in the Strait, which has precedent.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Both shows just burn through villains in the most haphazard and jarring way, never really allowing for any of them to build up into something truly threatening, let alone interesting enough to carry the mantle of Big Bad.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
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That fact was evident not only in the casualties and hostage-taking during the massacre, but in the grinding, brutal, and haphazard war in Gaza that has followed.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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National defense in McKinley’s day largely meant preventing invasions—an undemanding task, given the country’s peaceful neighbors and oceanic moats.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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In the Turbine Hall, art could be as enjoyable, and as undemanding, as lying back on your chaise in Marbella.—
Jason Farago,
New York Times,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Rather than adapting, many boys and men are left confused, resentful and aimless.—
Chuka Emezue,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2025
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Too many of his dribbles were aimless or ended in backwards passes.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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This anecdote is a perfect snapshot of Jameela’s lifelong refusal to accept arbitrary rules.—
Mandeep Rai,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Choosing a side for the wall would have been arbitrary.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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The Stanley Cup-holding Florida Panthers got there with Friday night’s desultory 2-0 home loss to the Maple Leafs to put their second round series at 3-3.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2025
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The desultory attention to regional conditions compromises the book’s conclusions and recommendations.—
Suzanne Maloney,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Dec. 2019
Adjective
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On a whim, Joe decides to oppose him, and recruits his fellow officers, Guy (Luke Grimes) and Michael (Micheal Ward), to help him with his admittedly slapdash campaign.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
19 May 2025
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Mad About the Boy, an adaptation of the slapdash third novel that starts streaming on Peacock on February 13, keeps the trope-laden structure, but finds surprising depth in a devastating plot twist.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unselective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unselective. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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