selection

American  

[si-lek-shuhn] / sɪˈlɛk ʃən /

noun

selections plural

1. an act or instance of selecting or the state of being selected; choice.

   Antonyms:

   rejection

2. a thing or a number of things selected.

   Synonyms:

   pick, gathering, collection

3. an aggregate of things displayed for choice, purchase, use, etc.; a group from which a choice may be made.

   The store had a wide selection of bracelets.

4. Biology. any natural or artificial process that results in differential reproduction among the members of a population so that the inheritable traits of only certain individuals are passed on, or are passed on in greater proportion, to succeeding generations.

5. Linguistics.

   1. the choice of one form instead of another in a position where either can occur, as of ask instead of tell or with in the phrase ask me.

   2. the choice of one semantic or syntactic class of words in a construction, to the exclusion of others that do not occur there, as the choice of an animate object for the verb surprise.

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selection British  

/ sɪˈlɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of selecting or the state of being selected

2. a thing or number of things that have been selected

3. a range from which something may be selected

   this shop has a good selection of clothes

4. biology the natural or artificial process by which certain organisms or characters are reproduced and perpetuated in the species in preference to others See also natural selection

5. a contestant in a race chosen as likely to win or come second or third

6. 1. the act of free-selecting

   2. a tract of land acquired by free-selection

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonselection
  noun
• reselection
  noun
• superselection
  noun
• selectional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• selections
  plural

Etymology

Origin of selection

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin sēlēctiōn-, stem of sēlēctiō; equivalent to select + -ion

Explanation

Selection is all about choosing. Think about a salad bar: you can make a selection from among several choices, with croutons always being a popular selection. Inside selection is the word select, "to choose." Selection means the act of choosing, the thing chosen, or the offerings to be chosen from among. Selection can also mean a passage excerpted (or selected) from a longer text. Church services often involve reading a day's selection from the Bible.

Example Sentences

The Women’s Center will provide tenant identification and selection.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

The injuries at right-back have put scrutiny on Tuchel's squad selection for this tournament with some questioning whether the make-up of the squad is balanced.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

Earlier seasons of the show concentrated on the tough selection process to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader - a job that attracts young women from across the USA.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

The selection of a regional Fed president is a two-step process.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

As the tycoon outfitted his country estate, he demanded that every touch be just so, down to the selection of the family dog.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• choice
• collection
• draft
• election
• excerpt
• option
• pick