selective Definition
- 1relating to or involving the selection of the most suitable or best qualified
- 2choosing carefully from a range of possibilities
Using selective: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "selective" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The university has a selective admissions process.
Example
She is very selective about her friends.
Example
The company is looking for someone with selective experience in marketing.
selective Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for selective
Antonyms for selective
Phrases with selective
the intentional mating of two animals in an attempt to produce offspring with desirable characteristics or traits
Example
Farmers use selective breeding to produce cows that give more milk.
the tendency to remember only certain things and forget others, often due to bias or personal preference
Example
He has a selective memory when it comes to his own mistakes.
the ability to focus on certain sounds while ignoring others, often used humorously to describe someone who ignores what they don't want to hear
Example
My husband has selective hearing when it comes to doing the dishes.
Summary: selective in Brief
The term 'selective' [sɪˈlɛktɪv] refers to the act of choosing carefully from a range of possibilities. It can describe a process of selecting the most suitable or best qualified, as in 'The university has a selective admissions process.' Alternatively, it can describe a person who is very particular or choosy, as in 'She is very selective about her friends.' 'Selective' extends into phrases like 'selective breeding,' which involves intentionally mating animals to produce desirable traits, and 'selective memory,' which describes the tendency to remember only certain things.
