selective
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
being very careful about what you choose and only picking the best or most suitable things.
characterised by careful discrimination or fastidiousness when making a choice.
Simple“He is very selective about the people he invites to his private parties.”
In context“The university is highly selective, admitting fewer than ten percent of applicants each year to maintain its academic standards.”
SynonymsAntonymsindiscriminateunselective - 02 C1 Advanced
affecting only some things or people and not others.
operating on or affecting only certain specific items or individuals within a group.
Simple“The drug is selective and only attacks the sick cells in the body.”
In context“The new herbicide offers selective weed control, destroying invasive species without harming the surrounding wheat crop.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
relating to the way nature chooses which animals or plants survive.
pertaining to the process of natural or artificial selection in a biological context.
Simple“Selective breeding has helped farmers produce cows that give more milk.”
In context“Environmental changes created a selective pressure that favoured individuals with thicker fur during the prolonged cooling period.”
Usageoften used in the phrase 'selective breeding' or 'selective pressure'
Synonyms
“No explanation is given for the selective memories that build the story, so we have no idea why one remembers something when the other doesn’t, or what prompts that memory to fade.”
“One went on to a selective secondary school, and became the second black person to hold one of Britain’s great offices of state.”