selective

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selective

/səˈlɛktɪv/

Rhymes with -ɛktɪv

adjective more selective · most selective

Of or relating to the process of selection. The selective algorithm excludes the redundant classifiers to construct a streamlined ensemble learning.
Of or relating to natural selection. selective pressure
of a person Choosy, fussy or discriminating when selecting. He's very selective and spent hours in the store choosing a new shirt.
US, not comparable Having the authority or capability to make a selection. In the USA, military conscription is controlled by the Selective Service.
Of or relating to the social work approach called selectivity. Eligibility criteria form the essence of selective programs and individuals are evaluated using a means test.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: discriminating, exclusive, selection, chosen, selected, select, choose, elective, optional, choosy, certain, focused, discriminatory, punctual, one-off, one-time

Translations

Every language

adj of or pertaining to the process of selection

Español	selectivo
Português	seletivo
Français	sélectif
Deutsch	selektiv, auswählend, herausgreifend, ausgewählt, gezielt, punktuell
Italiano	selettivo
Română	selectiv, de selecție
Русский	вы́борный výbornyj, селекти́вный selektívnyj, избира́тельный izbirátelʹnyj

adj of or relating to natural selection

Deutsch	selektiv, Selektions-

adj choosy, fussy or discriminating when selecting

Español	selectivo
Français	sélectif
Deutsch	wählerisch
Ελληνικά	εκλεκτικός eklektikós
Русский	разбо́рчивый razbórčivyj, перебо́рчивый perebórčivyj
العربية	اِنْتِقَائِيّ intiqāʔiyy

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MLA

"selective." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/selective. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

selective. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/selective

Chicago

"selective." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/selective.

BibTeX

@misc{selective_2026,
  title = {selective},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/selective},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}