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
-
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
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unselectadjective
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unselectedadjective
-
well-selectedadjective
-
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:
Such a test could help doctors recognize these patients earlier and select treatments that address the underlying immune malfunction.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026
The offer is available to select employees in Canada, India, the U.K. and the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Sen said he and his colleagues aim to select stocks of companies that can beat expectations of analysts, investors and even the companies’ own management teams and competitors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Customers could specify how ripe they wanted their avocados, leave detailed instructions and select acceptable substitutions in advance.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
We pick the pretty ones, then select some Roman candles and two stubby fountains.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
The lion’s share of Nasdaq’s haul comes from SpaceX and it could add another $100 billion or so to its tally if AI giant Anthropic officially selects Nasdaq for its IPO next month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
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
She plunges her big hand down, selects a match, hands it over to me.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
The event's record points scorer had to settle outstanding fines - reported to be more than £1m - in order to be eligible for the 2025 edition, although ultimately he was not selected.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Permitting selected claims to be heard there instead of in Finra’s cheaper forum—as the regulator’s questions for public comment contemplate—would hamper investors’ ability to recover big losses, especially from flagrant fraud or misconduct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 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
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
“It’s my turn to be teacher,” Jonathan said as he selected the two biggest alders.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
But investors need to look past gloomy daily headlines and consider what’s really going on when selecting stocks for long-term growth.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
But lately the leaders at the 125-year-old law firm spent hours discussing the merits of italics within a custom-made typeface and selecting the exact shade of blue that best communicates the energy of its lawyers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
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
Some of the new privacy tools include selecting who can see a child's profile photo and who can add them to groups.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
“She’s done so many terrible things, she’s having trouble selecting just one.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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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.
