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.
-
careful or fastidious in selecting; discriminating.
-
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
-
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)
-
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
-
had selectedperfect
-
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:
According to a summary on PrizePicks, users select a pack they want to open, with a randomizer deciding which cards they get.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
His ninth, “Paper Tiger,” a gripping crime drama set in the 1980s, comes out in select theaters on Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
Ideally, scientists could select nanoparticles for their electrical, optical, chemical, or other useful characteristics and then organize those particles into whatever arrangement best serves a particular application.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
In January, a House of Lords select committee started a review of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to consider its impact and effectiveness.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
I go to the supply shelves at the back of the room and select some paints.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
When no party prevails in the parliament, the president — an otherwise largely ceremonial figure — selects which party can lead in forming a government.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
Scott runs a nine-person investment committee that selects about 30 stocks for each investment strategy based on fundamental analysis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
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
It remains to be seen whether Carrick selects Martinez for the trip to Leeds.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Jenna finally selects a Peppermint Patty, and we head back to the counter to pay for the candy.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
Rather than following a single fixed arrangement, the quantum system repeatedly selected among several equally possible configurations.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
Kevin Tyrrell, chief product officer at NYSE, said the company selected Avalanche after testing multiple providers because of its speed, throughput and ability to support a controlled network with compliance requirements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
Curl played his first four NFL seasons for the Commanders after they selected him in the seventh round of the 2020 draft out of Arkansas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
Ms. Krasny’s team has since unearthed many more and selected 417 to translate, some of which appear here for the first time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
President Eisenhower, a five-star army general, decided that astronaut candidates should be selected from a pool of military test pilots.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
These findings suggest that understanding an asteroid's shape and carefully selecting where to direct a nuclear blast could be essential to protecting Earth from a future impact.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026
England manager Thomas Tuchel said Cole Palmer "misses too many chances to impress" after not selecting the Chelsea forward for November's Nations League fixtures.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Bergeron said the new board will focus on strengthening corporate governance, returning to growth, and selecting a successor to CEO Farooq Kathwari.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Proposition 5 breaks up that process into two parts, prioritizing the voters’ right to oust an official before selecting a replacement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Did you read over the company’s brochure and the spec sheets? The Nexus-6 brain unit they’re using now is capable of selecting within a field of two trillion constituents, or ten million separate neural pathways.”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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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.
