select
Americanverb (used with object)
-
selects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
selected,
past participle, past
-
selecting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
selects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
selected,
past participle, past
-
selecting
present participle
adjective
-
chosen in preference to another or others; selected.
-
of special value or excellence; choice.
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careful or fastidious in selecting; discriminating.
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carefully or fastidiously chosen; exclusive.
a select group of friends.
verb
adjective
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Also: selected. chosen in preference to another or others
-
of particular quality or excellence
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limited as to membership or entry
a select gathering
-
careful in making a choice
Synonym Usage
See choose.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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selectabilitynoun
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selectnessnoun
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selectornoun
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reselectverb (used with object)
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nonselectedadjective
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selectableadjective
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unselectadjective
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unselectedadjective
-
well-selectedadjective
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selectlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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selectsimple
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selectssimple
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have selectedperfect
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has selectedperfect
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am selectingprogressive
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are selectingprogressive
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is selectingprogressive
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have been selectingperfect progressive
-
has been selectingperfect progressive
Past
-
selectedsimple
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had selectedperfect
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was selectingprogressive
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were selectingprogressive
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had been selectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of select
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin sēlēctus (past participle of sēligere “to gather apart”), equivalent to sē- “apart” + leg(ere) “to gather, choose” + -tus past participle suffix; cf. lection ( def. ), se-
Explanation
To select something means to choose it from among others. If you select the most expensive phone, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be happy with what you get. You can use select as an adjective as well as a verb. It means "specially chosen" or "of superior quality." For instance, you might be one of the select few who know how to really appreciate a game of Tetris, or you might want to choose a wine from a select list of Spanish reds. All of this assumes that if you select one thing, you feel that it's better than all the other choices.
Vocabulary lists containing select
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 81-90
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 6
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"Charlotte's Web": Chapter One
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In that case, the county and the union each would select one member, with the sides together choosing the third person, who would serve as the panel’s chair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Sen said he and his colleagues aim to select stocks of companies that can beat expectations of analysts, investors and even the companies’ own management teams and competitors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
The offer is available to select employees in Canada, India, the U.K. and the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Customers could specify how ripe they wanted their avocados, leave detailed instructions and select acceptable substitutions in advance.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
I guessed it would be Wernher von Braun up there, leading his select crew.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
As Perseverance moves, it continuously captures images of its surroundings, constructs a three-dimensional map of potential obstacles, and selects a safe route between destinations chosen by mission controllers.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
Some Gerans include a seeker guidance package that allows the onboard computer to guide the drone in the final flight phase, after a human operator initially selects the target.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
He added: "I will continue to serve my constituents in Casnewydd Islwyn and will fully back whoever the group selects as its next leader."
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Should Airbus opt for this type of engine while Boeing selects a more conventional architecture, CFM believes it can cater for both giants of the air.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The environment selects those few mutations that enhance survival, resulting in a series of slow transformations of one lifeform into another, the origin of new species.*
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Few of those selected for this tournament bear the scars of that encounter, with a youthful and dynamic squad featuring only six of the team from the Sin City debacle.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
The 13 funds the Journal analyzed held about $195 billion in shares of 15 companies selected as representative of the AI trade, including hyperscalers and top U.S. chip firms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The conference had already selected the presentation for its presidential symposium, a slot reserved for medical studies that have the potential to change the standard of care.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Duguay was selected by the Rangers at No. 13 overall in the 1977 draft.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
They selected and “appointed” certain sticks or stones as tools because they had begun to connect form and function.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
But investors need to look past gloomy daily headlines and consider what’s really going on when selecting stocks for long-term growth.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Humyn Labs filters the thousands of hours of video supplied by those collectors, selecting the most useful content.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
“I have always been good at selecting people.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
That self-awareness has made their late-period work all too stodgy, selecting roles clearly informed by their notable reputations.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
By the time the bus reached school, Fern had named her pet, selecting the most beautiful name she could think of.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
