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
But at highly selective private colleges like those in the Ivy League for example, students from the bottom 20% of the income distribution have consistently made up only about 5% of the student bodies at these institutions across the last century.
—
Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
While the most elite schools are still highly selective, the general trend among U.S. colleges recently has been rising acceptance rates, according to a September study from the American Enterprise Institute.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2024
Over the past year of war, a selective reading of the Gulf states’ actions may have played into this assumption.
—Maria Fantappie, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2024
Shoppers have been selective about spending after cumulative years of pricier food, housing and more.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for selective 
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Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
While the most elite schools are still highly selective, the general trend among U.S. colleges recently has been rising acceptance rates, according to a September study from the American Enterprise Institute.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2024
Over the past year of war, a selective reading of the Gulf states’ actions may have played into this assumption.
—Maria Fantappie, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2024
Shoppers have been selective about spending after cumulative years of pricier food, housing and more.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 20 Nov. 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 1 Dec. 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
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