elective

[ih-lek-tiv]

adjective

1. pertaining to the principle of electing to an office, position, etc.

2. chosen by election, as an official.

3. bestowed by or derived from election, as an office.

4. having the power or right of electing to office, as a body of persons.

5. open to choice; optional; not required.

   an elective subject in college; elective surgery.

   Synonyms: discretionary, voluntary
   Antonyms: necessary, obligatory

6. Chemistry.,  selecting for combination or action; tending to combine with certain substances in preference to others.

   elective attraction.

noun

1. an optional study; a course that a student may select from among alternatives.

elective

/ ɪˈlɛktɪv, ˌiːlɛkˈtɪvɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of or based on selection by vote

   elective procedure

2. selected by vote

   an elective official

3. having the power to elect

4. open to choice; optional

   an elective course of study

noun

1. an optional course or hospital placement undertaken by a medical student

Other Word Forms

• electivity noun
• electively adverb
• electiveness noun
• nonelective adjective
• nonelectively adverb
• nonelectiveness noun
• preelective adjective
• unelective adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of elective¹

1520–30; < Medieval Latin ēlēctīvus, equivalent to Latin ēlēct ( us ) ( elect ) + -īvus -ive

Example Sentences

The third-year student was at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital when her lecturer, Aaron Collins, and his wife Lexy, came in to have an elective C-section.

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The inquiry also heard about the decision by the NHS to keep children out of the healthcare system unless essential and to pause elective procedures for children in March 2020.

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Maxim Giacaman, 23, a medical student from Bethlehem, told the BBC he was unable to travel abroad for a key elective in his medical studies.

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The Wye Valley NHS Trust has also raised concerns, with managing director Jane Ives telling a board meeting that 10,000 appointments or elective procedures would be affected there due to the knock-on effects.

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“The coming back, to me, is what’s so important and inspiring” — especially because finishing her education was an elective rather than a requirement.

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Related Words

• electoral