selective

adjective
UK: /sɪˈlektɪv/
US: /səˈlektɪv/

  1. Careful in choosing; choosing only the best or most suitable.

    1. She is very selective about what she eats.
    2. The school is highly selective, accepting only students with top grades.

  2. Relating to or involving the selection of the most suitable items.

    1. The company has a selective hiring process.
    2. Selective breeding can produce plants with desired characteristics, like disease resistance.

  3. Affecting some things but not others.

    1. The pesticide is selective; it kills only certain insects.
    2. Selective attention allows us to focus on one thing while ignoring distractions.

Synonyms

discerning particular choosy fastidious discriminating

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "selective" in English means: Careful in choosing; choosing only the best or most suitable., Relating to or involving the selection of the most suitable items., Affecting some things but not others..

The phonetic transcription of "selective" is /sɪˈlektɪv/ in British English and /səˈlektɪv/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "selective": discerning, particular, choosy, fastidious, discriminating.

Example usage of "selective": "She is very selective about what she eats.". More examples on the page.