selective

adjective

se·​lec·​tive sə-ˈlek-tiv How to pronounce selective (audio)
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 noun

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 An Associated Press survey of the nation’s most selective colleges in 2022 found that legacy students in the freshman class ranged from 4% to 23%, though many schools declined to provide basic data in response to AP’s request. Susan Haigh, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 Other highly selective schools such as Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago also remain test-optional. Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 There are additional requirements if a student wishes to apply to a four-year state college, and selective universities carefully evaluate a student’s advanced coursework. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Sephora contributed to a 76% profit rise in the selective retailing segment, which includes Duty Free shops and raked in €17.9 billion ($19.4 billion) in sales last year. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024 The influx of new job seekers is creating more slack in the labor market, said Julia Pollak, chief economist at the jobs site ZipRecruiter, allowing companies to be more selective. Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 To be clear, Apple TV+ has in fact offered some licensed titles previously on a very selective basis. Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Mar. 2024 Human rights have grown in importance in world politics, but their enforcement remains notoriously erratic and selective. Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 A lot of other streamers have been reducing spending and become more selective about originals. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'selective.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of selective was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near selective

Cite this Entry

“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

selective

adjective
se·​lec·​tive sə-ˈlek-tiv How to pronounce selective (audio)
: of or relating to selection : selecting or tending to select
selective shoppers

Medical Definition

selective

adjective
se·​lec·​tive sə-ˈlek-tiv How to pronounce selective (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on selective

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