SELECTIVE Synonyms: 17 Similar and Opposite Words

selective

adjective

sə-ˈlek-tiv

Definition of selective

as in particular

tending to select carefully we were highly selective about the music we listened to while trying out loudspeakers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of selective Investors appear increasingly selective about how companies address these issues. — Scott M. Curran, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 Some children are selective eaters or dislike traditional breakfast foods. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026 Those slots go to Chicago Public Schools’ selective enrollment schools, such as Northside College Prep, which ranked number one in the state among public schools, and Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, which came in second. — Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 One is being more selective, which has led to more walks and has also led to better contact overall. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for selective

Recent Examples of Synonyms for selective

Adjective

One day, Cole paged through an album whose acidic glues caused her particular anguish.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Shape-memory polymers can be programmed to return to a particular shape after exposure to a stimulus, often heat.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of particular

Adjective

And because Imax is not actively seeking a sale, simply entertaining offers, its executives can afford to be choosey.

— Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Young adults are just getting choosier about when a drink is actually worth it, and the ripple effects are showing up in surveys, menus and social feeds.

— Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of choosy

Adjective

Some producers will get much more picky about that and spend a lot of time aligning the playing to the grid.

— Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Violet helleborines are incredibly picky orchids, requiring a mature beech forest growing on a clay soil overlaid on chalk.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of picky

Browse Nearby Words

selections

selective

selectively

See all Nearby Words

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“Selective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selective. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of selective

adjective

Example Sentences

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