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.
-
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
-
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:
Matthew McConaughey had plenty of reasons to select "The Rivals of Amziah King," a honey-themed thriller set in the American Southwest, for his return to the big screen after more than five years away.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
If the winning country is deemed unable to host, the EBU will select an alternative broadcaster to run the show.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Samsung and SK Hynix in recent months joined the select group of global companies to hit a market capitalization of $1 trillion or more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
By changing how the meta-atoms are arranged, researchers can select which quantum states pass through the material without being altered and which states undergo statistical changes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
The guest list is exclusive; only members of the circus and some select and special guests are in attendance.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Gruel selects seafood, one of what he calls the country’s “bounty items,” and announces that they will make salmon cakes.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 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 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
The butterflies gather round, and Sis selects a fiery red one to accompany us back to Brooklyn.
From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott
Trump selected Habba for the role of US attorney last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Hussle even selected the cover art: a gradient blue photo of the two rappers chilling with friends at the Hollywood Roosevelt, the hotel they frequented during the recording of the album.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
“The idea of getting paid to reform the system and make it better is a thrill,” Bycel told The Times when he was selected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
They selected promising puppies and may sometimes have bred dogs with wild canids to reinforce particular characteristics.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
The unusual time of morning to perform the exhumation was selected to thwart possible newsmen and curiosity-seekers from ogling the corpse and possibly taking photographs.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
In a letter to Carro, prosecutors have said they have "no role in developing" media procedures at trial and "will have no role in selecting which news reporters attend the trial".
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Sportswriters tasked with selecting City player of the year ended up making White, Moore and Kevin Williams tri-players of the year, which certainly made Marsh happy trying to spread the fame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
In these fields, selecting the correct enantiomer can be essential because two mirror-image versions of the same molecule may have very different biological or medical effects.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
“More filmmakers than ever are selecting Imax,” Gelfond said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Let's see," he said, selecting a sample and running his thumb across the board.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
