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 highly selective program awards about 9,000 scholarships annually in the U.S. and in more than 160 other countries to students, scholars, and professionals in a range of fields.
—
Cheyanne Mumphrey, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Economic uncertainty is pushing many businesses to adopt a more selective approach, extending the hiring process even further.
—Duane Tursi, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
The strategy is to launch through selective distribution with a focus on its own retail and e-commerce channels, supported by key wholesale partners across the globe.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 10 June 2025
This sample of children is simply too small and selective to be able to make definitive conclusions.
—Richard Ball, The Conversation, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for selective
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Cheyanne Mumphrey, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Economic uncertainty is pushing many businesses to adopt a more selective approach, extending the hiring process even further.
—Duane Tursi, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
The strategy is to launch through selective distribution with a focus on its own retail and e-commerce channels, supported by key wholesale partners across the globe.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 10 June 2025
This sample of children is simply too small and selective to be able to make definitive conclusions.
—Richard Ball, The Conversation, 5 June 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 16 Jun. 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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