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
Also seed rounds in U.S. fintech are set to drop another 24% year over year, signaling a pivot toward highly selective, high-potential investments, according to the bank.
—
Alena Botros, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024
Of course, still under our policy, our strategy that has been since very, very selective.
—Sofia Celeste, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024
Duloxetine, a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is prescribed for anxiety and depression, and can also be used to treat nerve pain for people with diabetes, the Mayo Clinic notes.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2024
Big picture Costco has been a retail winner over the past couple years as Americans navigated an inflationary period that led them to be cost-conscious and more selective on their spending across categories.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024
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.
Alena Botros, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024
Of course, still under our policy, our strategy that has been since very, very selective.
—Sofia Celeste, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024
Duloxetine, a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is prescribed for anxiety and depression, and can also be used to treat nerve pain for people with diabetes, the Mayo Clinic notes.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2024
Big picture Costco has been a retail winner over the past couple years as Americans navigated an inflationary period that led them to be cost-conscious and more selective on their spending across categories.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for selective
Dictionary Entries Near selective
Cite this Entry
“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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