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
Highly selective universities, which do not enroll the majority of U.S. college students, were most likely to consider race in admissions prior to the decision.
—
Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
Being an influential strategist means leaders need to be selective about their audience.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Once a sponge for new graduates, the tech industry has cut back on filling high-paying jobs and is far more selective.
—Jenn Brice, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024
California is banning legacy admissions at private colleges and universities, ensuring that some of the country’s most selective schools will not favor applicants with familial or monetary connections to the schools.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for selective 
Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
Being an influential strategist means leaders need to be selective about their audience.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Once a sponge for new graduates, the tech industry has cut back on filling high-paying jobs and is far more selective.
—Jenn Brice, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024
California is banning legacy admissions at private colleges and universities, ensuring that some of the country’s most selective schools will not favor applicants with familial or monetary connections to the schools.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for selective
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'selective.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near selective
Cite this Entry
“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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
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