selective
Americanadjective
-
having the function or power of selecting; making a selection.
-
characterized by selection, especially fastidious selection.
- Synonyms:
- discerning, particular, discriminating
-
of or relating to selection.
-
Electricity, Radio. having good selectivity.
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of selective
Explanation
If your mother only remembers the good things and not the bad, she has a selective memory. If a school chooses to offer only a few students spots, it is selective. Selective means characterized by choice. When you are looking for someone to date, you will get advice as to how selective to be. Some people will suggest that you cast a wide net, choosing to date a lot of people in hopes that one will be right. Others will recommend that you be more selective, choosing to date only people that fit a set of criteria. If you are a male, you will have to register with Selective Service, a database the military selects from if there is ever a draft, when you turn 18.
Vocabulary lists containing selective
Donald Trump Foreign Policy Address
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Setting and Structure
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The MGMT Solution," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, captured the frustration with conservative media’s selective outrage.
From Salon • May 18, 2026
Consumer-behavior analyst Chip West says Americans have responded to higher gas prices by being more selective in what they buy.
From MarketWatch • May 16, 2026
But by developing genetic markers for particular traits - colour, shape, disease resistance, flowering longevity and so on - Floricultura and its competitors can try to speed up the process of selective breeding.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
"This really bucked that trend and caused selective reduction of fat in that visceral compartment."
From Science Daily • May 7, 2026
It hit him that this was yet another example of the odd selective memory in his mind.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
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.
