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 list identified highly selective universities that employers say are on par, if not better, than the eight Ivy League colleges.
—
Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 23 Aug. 2025
To put that in perspective: an 18 is below the national average ACT score of 19 — and far below what selective universities such as the University of Illinois expect, where most freshmen scored between 30 and 34.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Only students who applied to at least one selective college were included.
—Fred L. Pincus, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2025
Moody's highlights their vulnerability, especially if not highly selective.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 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.
Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 23 Aug. 2025
To put that in perspective: an 18 is below the national average ACT score of 19 — and far below what selective universities such as the University of Illinois expect, where most freshmen scored between 30 and 34.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Only students who applied to at least one selective college were included.
—Fred L. Pincus, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2025
Moody's highlights their vulnerability, especially if not highly selective.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 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 Sep. 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