[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/selective.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / selective

[← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/S/)

# selective

«selective» in Mova's school dictionary: **choosing carefully, only taking some things and not others** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (selective, more selective, most selective)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Selective means choosing carefully, only taking some things and not others. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#m1)

2) A selective school only takes pupils who pass a test or meet certain standards. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#m2)

3) Selective can mean affecting only some things: a selective weedkiller kills weeds but not grass. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#m3)

4) «Selective hearing» or «a selective memory» jokingly means only hearing or remembering what you want to. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

School: in the UK, grammar schools are selective schools that take pupils after the 11-plus test. Science: selective breeding means choosing which animals or plants have young so good features are passed on (like dog breeds or bigger crops). Everyday: being selective about what you eat or watch. Phrases: «selective breeding», «selective school», «selective hearing».

### examples

- Farmers used selective breeding to make cows give more milk. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#x1)
- She is very selective about which books she reads. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#x2)
- My brother has selective hearing when it is time to tidy up. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#x3)
- It is a selective school, so you have to sit an exam. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#x4)
- The gardener used a selective weedkiller on the lawn. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#x5)
- Be selective with your photos and only share the best ones. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#x6)
- Cats can be selective eaters. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/#x7)

### note

Adjective; adverb is «selectively», noun «selection», verb «select». In science, selective breeding (done by people) is different from natural selection (done by nature, without anyone choosing).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «selective» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/selective/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.