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
Catering to the selective tastes of New York's elite, Continuum offers an array of personalized services designed to enhance the physical and mental well-being of its members.
—
Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
And so there is a sense of the selective application of humanitarian law and a sense of unfairness, a sense of, our lives don't matter as much.
—CBS News, 5 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for selective 
Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
And so there is a sense of the selective application of humanitarian law and a sense of unfairness, a sense of, our lives don't matter as much.
—CBS News, 5 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for selective
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'selective.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near selective
Cite this Entry
“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective. Accessed 18 May. 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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