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selective

[ si-lek-tiv ]
/ sɪˈlɛk tɪv /
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See synonyms for: selective / selectiveness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
having the function or power of selecting; making a selection.
characterized by selection, especially fastidious selection.
of or relating to selection.
Electricity, Radio. having good selectivity.
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Origin of selective

First recorded in 1615–25; select + -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM selective

se·lec·tive·ly, adverbse·lec·tive·ness, nounnon·se·lec·tive, adjectiveun·se·lec·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use selective in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for selective

selective
/ (sɪˈlɛktɪv) /

adjective
of or characterized by selection
tending to choose carefully or characterized by careful choice
electronics occurring at, operating at, or capable of separating out a particular frequency or band of frequencies

Derived forms of selective

selectively, adverbselectiveness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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