selective
adjective
se·lec·tive
sə-ˈlek-tiv 
2
: highly specific in activity or effect
selective pesticides
selective absorption
Examples of selective in a Sentence
The club is selective in choosing members.
The college has a highly selective admissions process.
Recent Examples on the Web
At Westfields Sports High School, a selective school renowned for its athletic programs, Kennedy started to turn heads.
—
Asli Pelit, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Its path from European favorite to Argentine flagship was shaped by chance, disaster and the selective forces of climate and soil.
—Rachel King, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
The film screened in the selective Spotlight category at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, following earlier premieres at Venice and Telluride.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
The company's leaders have spoken frequently about how inflation has made U.S. consumers more value conscious and selective, causing some to buy lower-margin necessities like groceries and household items instead of higher-margin items like clothing.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Asli Pelit, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Its path from European favorite to Argentine flagship was shaped by chance, disaster and the selective forces of climate and soil.
—Rachel King, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
The film screened in the selective Spotlight category at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, following earlier premieres at Venice and Telluride.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
The company's leaders have spoken frequently about how inflation has made U.S. consumers more value conscious and selective, causing some to buy lower-margin necessities like groceries and household items instead of higher-margin items like clothing.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
Cite this Entry
“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
selective
adjective
se·lec·tive
sə-ˈlek-tiv
: of or relating to selection : selecting or tending to select
selective shoppers
Medical Definition
selective
adjective
se·lec·tive
sə-ˈlek-tiv
2
: highly specific in activity or effect
selective pesticides
selective permeability of a plasma membrane
selectively
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share