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
-
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)
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nonselectedadjective
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selectableadjective
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unselectadjective
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unselectedadjective
-
well-selectedadjective
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selectlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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selectsimple
-
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:
“The goal here is to provide local businesses the ability to tap into the Olympics,” Zeytoonjian said, “but also give fans the ability to have different varieties of products they can select from.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
By identifying these differences, doctors may eventually be able to recognize vulnerable patients sooner, improve screening, and select treatments based on the specific biological processes responsible for their illness.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
However, if the hikes are limited to the select increases that the analysts found today, investors are likely to be underwhelmed by the breadth and magnitude, they add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Strict criteria were used to select patients for the programme, which is based at Falkirk Community Hospital.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Before we can carve the obelisk, it is important to select the correct piece of granite.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
As Perseverance moves, it continuously captures images of its surroundings, constructs a three-dimensional map of potential obstacles, and selects a safe route between destinations chosen by mission controllers.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
It remains to be seen whether Carrick selects Martinez for the trip to Leeds.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
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
For the Imuget ceremony, each new warrior selects another warrior who he feels will be a trusted friend forever, one he can confide in during times of hardship and times of happiness.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
The 13 funds the Journal analyzed held about $195 billion in shares of 15 companies selected as representative of the AI trade, including hyperscalers and top U.S. chip firms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
And rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., whom Sacramento selected No. 7 in the draft out of Arkansas, posted 12 points on an abysmal five-for-24 shooting in his debut.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Lechevallier had been selected by French President Emmanuel Macron to replace the previous envoy, Laurent Bili, over the summer, but his appointment was thrown into limbo after a dispute stemming from the UN.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
The conference had already selected the presentation for its presidential symposium, a slot reserved for medical studies that have the potential to change the standard of care.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
He’d started to receive fan letters and requests for photos, autographs, even some selected game scores to autograph and inscribe—not just from the United States but from different corners of the globe.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
That self-awareness has made their late-period work all too stodgy, selecting roles clearly informed by their notable reputations.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
In a lighter moment earlier, the mayor, wearing a gray suit, had joined a tiara-wearing Miss Huntington Beach in selecting winners of a lottery—to run fireworks stands—from numbered balls in a bingo cage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
And so EU member states are selecting strategic partners that they believe suit their national needs, even if that alienates or irritates fellow member states.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
This mission guided her through the process of selecting works by famous artists from SFMOMA’s collection to contextualize RM’s pieces from lesser-known but equally important names.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
I tapped the sword with my index finger, selecting it.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
