A selective process applies only to a few things or people.
Selective breeding may result in a greyhound running faster.
...selective education.
selectivelyadverb [usually ADVERB with verb]
Within the project, trees are selectively cut on a 25-year rotation.
selectivity (sɪlektɪvɪti)uncountable noun
The emphasis on selectivity of audience by advertisers has created problems for theindustry.
2. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
When someone is selective, they choose things carefully, for example the things that they buy or do.
Sales still happen, but buyers are more selective.
If public figures seek publicity to further their careers, they can't be selectiveabout it.
Synonyms: particular, demanding, discriminating, critical More Synonyms of selective
selectivelyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
...people on small incomes who wanted to shop selectively.
3. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you say that someone has a selective memory, you disapprove of the fact that they remember certain facts about something and deliberately forget others, often because it is convenient for them to do so.
[disapproval]
We seem to have a selective memory for the best bits of the past.
Mr Robins, suffering from selective amnesia about his role in the affair, was contradictedin nearly every instance by other witnesses.
selectivelyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
There was something dubious about selectively forgetting a bad performance.
selective in British English
(sɪˈlɛktɪv)
adjective
1.
of or characterized by selection
2.
tending to choose carefully or characterized by careful choice
3. electronics
occurring at, operating at, or capable of separating out a particular frequency or band of frequencies
Derived forms
selectively (seˈlectively)
adverb
selectiveness (seˈlectiveness)
noun
selective in American English
(səˈlɛktɪv)
adjective
1.
of or characterized by selection
2.
a.
having the power of selecting; tending to select
b.
tending to select carefully; fastidious; discriminating
3. Radio
excluding oscillations on all frequencies except the one desired
Derived forms
selectively (seˈlectively)
adverb
selectiveness (seˈlectiveness)
noun
Examples of 'selective' in a sentence
selective
The question is whether or not this email was a selective disclosure.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Thus the use of selective sentencing to change criminal behaviour was but marginally effective.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
That means being less selective about who becomes a teacher.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You are making local schools selective on income by the back door.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
His dedication to poetry was total and highly selective.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He is just another politician with seemingly double standards and a selective memory.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This is a selective use of statistics that ignores the tremendous improvement over the past decade.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He accused men of his generation of selective amnesia about their pasts.
Charles Glass The Tribes Triumphant (2006)
But the forward is unlikely to be deceived by selective use of statistics.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This is the important point about a fortnight in which the subject of selective education has come back with a whimper.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
One of the things that is difficult about a selective school like this is that only the very bright are worthy.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In some places the demand for selective education is unbelievably high and it would remove some of the pressureon places.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Your editorial memory is curiously selective.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Suppliers are highly selective about whether they cut electricity or gas prices, and when.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Employees were less selective about sharing positive gossip, presumably because it was seen as less sensitive.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This will only work if maintained schools are given ring-fenced funds for senior staff to take a direct and active responsibility for selective university applications.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is not long before people, or selective parts of them, begin to appear.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The weekend offers you an abundance of celebration and ambition, so don't be so selective of people as you have in the past.
The Sun (2015)
In other languages
selective
British English: selective ADJECTIVE
A selective process applies only to a few things or people.
Selective breeding may result in a greyhound running faster and seeing better than a wolf.
American English: selective
Brazilian Portuguese: seletivo
Chinese: 选择性的
European Spanish: selectivo
French: sélectif
German: selektiv
Italian: selettivo
Japanese: 精選された
Korean: 선택적인
European Portuguese: seletivo
Latin American Spanish: selectivo
All related terms of 'selective'
selective abortion
the aborting of particular embryos for medical or social reasons
selective amnesia
the deliberate forgetting of something
selective breeding
the raising of animals with particular genetic traits through careful choice of parents
selective memory
an ability to remember some facts while apparently forgetting others, esp when they are inconvenient
selective school
A school is a place where children are educated . You usually refer to this place as school when you are talking about the time that children spend there and the activities that they do there.
selective service
In the United States , selective service is a system of selecting and ordering young people to serve in the armed forces for a limited period of time.
selective strike
a partial strike against a particular area of a business or against one employer or a small number of employers in a collective bargaining situation
selective attention
the process by which a person can selectively pick out one message from a mixture of messages occurring simultaneously
selective education
Education involves teaching people various subjects, usually at a school or college, or being taught .
selective synchronisation
a sound-recording process that facilitates overdubs by feeding the recorded track to the performer straight from the recording head
selective synchronization
a sound-recording process that facilitates overdubs by feeding the recorded track to the performer straight from the recording head
sel-sync
a sound-recording process that facilitates overdubs by feeding the recorded track to the performer straight from the recording head
SSRI
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ; any of a class of drugs , including fluvoxamine, paroxetine, fluoxetine (Prozac), and Lustral, that increase concentrations of serotonin in the brain : used in the treatment of depression
MILOS process
The MILOS process is a process that uses an additional riser in the FCC, which gives the refiner options to simultaneously maximize production of diesel and propylene .
Chinese translation of 'selective'
selective
(sɪˈlɛktɪv)
adj
(= discerning) 精挑细(細)选(選)的 (jīng tiāo xì xuǎn de)
(= based on selection)[education, school, breeding etc]选(選)择(擇)性的 (xuǎnzéxìng de)
(adjective)
Definition
tending to choose carefully or characterized by careful choice
Sales can happen, but buyers are more selective.
Synonyms
particular
Ted was very particular about the colours he used.
demanding
discriminating
These products are snapped up by more discriminating customers.
critical
careful
One has to be extremely careful when dealing with these people.
exacting
cautious
discerning
tailor-made holidays to suit the more discerning traveller
astute
discriminatory
fussy
She's not fussy about her food.
tasteful
fastidious
He was fastidious about his appearance.
choosy (informal)
You can't afford to be too choosy about jobs these days.
picky (informal)
Everyone knows children are picky eaters.
pernickety
He's very pernickety about neatness.
Opposites
careless
,
indiscriminate
,
all-embracing
,
unselective
Additional synonyms
in the sense of careful
Definition
cautious in attitude or action
One has to be extremely careful when dealing with these people.
Synonyms
cautious,
painstaking,
scrupulous,
fastidious,
circumspect,
punctilious (formal),
chary,
heedful,
thoughtful,
discreet
in the sense of choosy
Definition
fussy
You can't afford to be too choosy about jobs these days.
Synonyms
fussy,
particular,
exacting,
discriminating,
selective,
fastidious,
picky (informal),
finicky,
faddy,
nit-picky (informal)
in the sense of discerning
Definition
having or showing good judgment
tailor-made holidays to suit the more discerning traveller
Synonyms
discriminating,
knowing,
sharp,
critical,
acute,
sensitive,
wise,
intelligent,
subtle,
piercing,
penetrating,
shrewd,
ingenious,
astute,
perceptive,
judicious,
clear-sighted,
percipient,
perspicacious (formal),
sagacious (formal)
Synonyms of 'selective'
selective
Explore 'selective' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of discriminating
These products are snapped up by more discriminating customers.
Synonyms
discerning,
particular,
keen,
critical,
acute,
sensitive,
refined,
cultivated,
selective,
astute,
tasteful,
fastidious
in the sense of discriminatory
Synonyms
discerning,
discriminating,
analytical,
differentiating,
astute,
perceptive,
perspicacious (formal)
in the sense of fastidious
Definition
paying great attention to neatness, detail, and order