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
For evolutionary biologists, this opens new windows into the past—one that compels us to reexamine the processes and selective pressures that gave rise to flight, refined locomotion and ultimately, the unparalleled diversity of birds today.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Adams’s lawyers did not even file a court motion to dismiss the case on selective prosecution grounds; such a motion would have been frivolous.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Feb. 2025
The psychiatrist said research could be a beneficial hobby when approached with a selective mindset.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
Critics said the bill is another form of censorship that targets vulnerable communities and that its language is vague and broad and could lead to selective enforcement.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
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Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Adams’s lawyers did not even file a court motion to dismiss the case on selective prosecution grounds; such a motion would have been frivolous.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Feb. 2025
The psychiatrist said research could be a beneficial hobby when approached with a selective mindset.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
Critics said the bill is another form of censorship that targets vulnerable communities and that its language is vague and broad and could lead to selective enforcement.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 20 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 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
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