select
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
adjective
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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
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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
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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
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has been selectingperfect progressive
Past
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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:
This meant the ballot papers from voters who did not select either of them as their first choice were brought back into play.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
“We think the declining affordability of standalone PDPs could sway seniors to select MA coverage and further increase MA penetration.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
The group had to put "more than 50,000" different parts back into production and "select new suppliers because the previous suppliers no longer existed," Cote said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Here’s what they came up with: It started with each Maine county holding its own convention, open to all registered Democrats, to select delegates to this weekend’s state convention.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
The rare gene that allowed a select few to Glitch couldn’t be activated at will.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
“Then it’s a question of who selects the judges, how is the panel comprised. There’s just a lot complexity.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Pinterest showed off a new tool that automatically selects the ad most likely to perform best, while TikTok played matchmaker for brands and creators and debuted tools to generate ads on the fly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
The half-crazed King, magnificently sung by the ever-disruptive Timur, lusts after Salome by speaking and singing at different speeds he selects on a metronome, as he entices her to type for him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
The most recent winner at Augusta selects the menu for other past champions at an occasion which takes place in the clubhouse on the Tuesday evening of Masters week.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
She plunges her big hand down, selects a match, hands it over to me.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
It was selected for fast-tracking through the federal government’s new Major Projects Office, and was one of the first projects picked under the Ontario government’s One Project, One Process framework.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
He has 20 caps and was in Portugal's squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024 but was not selected by Roberto Martinez for this summer's tournament.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The YouTube channel also offers selected vintage episodes of the show featuring early appearances by contestants who compete in “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The plaintiffs argue the winners were not selected randomly, as Musk had suggested, but chosen because they could serve as effective spokespeople for the group.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Straightaway she was installed in a large and luxurious guest room that Lady Constance selected especially for her.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
The teams are also selecting tests related to communications and spacecraft control.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
We could rearrange the portfolios differently to tamp down the risk, selecting companies that are not projected to grow so quickly, but the current market environment justifies the risk — and will reward it.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Once studios couldn’t count on a second bump of revenue beyond the box office, they began selecting safer films based on pre-existing properties that were guaranteed to get people into movie theaters.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
When selecting a red to chill, the consensus is to go for something lighter-bodied and fruity that's low in tannins and has a lower alcohol content.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Next he would soak himself in a hot bath, and then he would take his time selecting his clothing for every occasion in the day.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
