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
The distillery’s production philosophy focuses on small-batch craftsmanship and selective maturation.
—
Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
And the number of applications to the richest and most selective universities keeps rising.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 16 July 2025
The state has refused to make public a roster of detainees at Alligator Alcatraz, instead offering selective information about who is being detained there.
—Ana Ceballos, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
When your debut feature is starring in Barry Jenkins’ film adaptation of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk, being selective feels on par for the journey.
—Taryn Finley, refinery29.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
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Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
And the number of applications to the richest and most selective universities keeps rising.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 16 July 2025
The state has refused to make public a roster of detainees at Alligator Alcatraz, instead offering selective information about who is being detained there.
—Ana Ceballos, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
When your debut feature is starring in Barry Jenkins’ film adaptation of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk, being selective feels on par for the journey.
—Taryn Finley, refinery29.com, 10 July 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 22 Jul. 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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