selective — affecting or concerning only a limited number of people or things; not general
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: affecting or concerning only a limited number of people or things; not general
Pronunciation (IPA): /sɪˈlektɪv/
Example Sentences
- My cat is so selective with food that she'd rather starve than eat the cheap stuff.
- Harvard University is highly selective in its admissions process.
- He has selective hearing - he only hears what he wants to hear.
selective
ADJECTIVE[/sɪˈlektɪv/]
affecting or concerning only a limited number of people or things; not general
Choosing only the best pieces
The teacher was selective when choosing students for the special project. (SELECT + CAREFUL = SELECTIVE)
Being selective often leads to more effective and productive results.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'selectus', the past participle of 'seligere', meaning 'to pick out' or 'to choose'. The term combines 'se-' (apart, separately) and 'legere' (to choose, gather), originally conveying the sense of picking or choosing items individually from a group.
Breakdown
se- (apart, separately) + leg- (to choose, gather, from Latin legere) + -ive (adjective suffix, forming an adjective indicating a quality or tendency).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat is so selective with food that she'd rather starve than eat the cheap stuff.”
“Harvard University is highly selective in its admissions process.”
“He has selective hearing - he only hears what he wants to hear.”
“The company uses selective recruitment to find the best candidates.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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