as in particular
tending to select carefully we were highly selective about the music we listened to while trying out loudspeakers

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of selective On Thursday during his hearing, Kennedy claimed that anyone can get COVID-19 vaccines at their pharmacy for free, however, pharmacies are being selective due to the limbo of federal regulations. Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025 Detroit's property tax burden is among the highest in the nation, leading to the use of selective tax break programs to lessen the burden on some residents. Malachi Barrett, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025 But about two years in, he was accepted into the DGA’s highly selective Assistant Director Training Program, the aspiring AD’s equivalent of getting into Harvard. Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025 Most common in children, this disorder manifests in highly selective eating habits that greatly limit an individual's diet and can result in malnutrition and limit a person's physical growth. Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for selective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selective
Adjective
  • In particular, the bacon bits were chilled and all stuck together in one big, congealed lump along the inside of the bowl.
    Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Technology firms — and artificial intelligence companies such as Broadcom and Nvidia, in particular — led the rise.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • LinkedIn's algorithm is choosy.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Known for being among the choosiest of the choosy buildings and the longtime home of Henry Kissinger, whose sprawling duplex, full of green upholstery and black candles — very Sister Parish — has yet to come on the market since his death.
    Kim Velsey, Curbed, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Moyes takes his time assessing and signing off on targets and is notoriously picky.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • My youngest son's the pickiest.
    Erin Clements, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Giving Wickham a nice holiday tan would be a bridge too far for the genteel world of Jane Austen.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Some decisions are prudent, such as the Las Vegas Raiders to defeat the New England Patriots at a nice underdog price.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selective. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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