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
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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)
-
nonselectedadjective
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selectableadjective
-
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
-
have been selectingperfect progressive
-
has been selectingperfect progressive
Past
-
selectedsimple
-
had selectedperfect
-
was selectingprogressive
-
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:
Drivers tick the right paddle shifter to select first gear, uh, first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
They provided insight into how they select companies that are likely to weather storms over the long haul.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
It can autonomously recognize objects, track them, navigate and select potential targets.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
Researchers select different neutron and X-ray techniques depending on the material they want to investigate.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
After an explanation about the three different types of fencing weapons—épée, saber, and foil—we were told to select one we thought we’d like to try.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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
Writing for the majority, Justice Kavanaugh painstakingly selects his words to avoid the ontological question, as if touching it might break something fragile.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 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 show — loosely based on the game Mafia — selects celebrities to be faithfuls and traitors, and the faithful must attempt to discover the traitors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026
He sniffs the pile over, selects a choice bit of bone with meat dangling off, and begins gnawing away.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Human operators selected the gas station as the target area, while onboard software independently picked the final aim point.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
“Her disclosure demands hard scrutiny of a system in which EPA leans on contractors selected and paid by the responsible party to measure that party’s own contamination,” said Lesley Pacey, the group’s senior environmental officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
On that basis I have selected Tino Livramento, if he can stay fit, although I still hope Tuchel puts doubts about Alexander-Arnold out of his mind.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
No developer has been selected to build the project and plans don’t specify what the housing should look like.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
He squirmed on his mat, wishing uselessly that Headmaster hadn’t selected him, picturing the cub chased by a hungry crocodile, counting the minutes until the sun would finally rise.
From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins
The results indicate that the process of separating and selecting planetary ingredients began almost as soon as solid bodies started forming.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
"Mother remembers," he laughs, selecting the caramel wafers.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
On paper, selecting “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay as host of the 2026 Emmys telecast probably made sense.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Their goal was selecting the right problems to work on, like the mathematicians who chose the Millennium Prize Problems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
“She’s done so many terrible things, she’s having trouble selecting just one.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
