selective
gb/səlˈɛktɪv/ us/səlˈɛktɪv/
B2
Inglês
~ 9300
Aceções
0 aceções
adjective
B2
property
1
carefully choosing only some things
Choosing only some people or things and saying no to the rest.
Padrão de uso:
selective about [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say *"I am very select"* when they mean *"I am very selective"*. "Select" is usually a verb or a formal adjective meaning "of special quality," while "selective" describes the behavior of choosing some things and not others. Another mistake is saying *"He is a selective person"*; more natural is *"He is very selective"* or *"He is very selective about his friends."*
Sinónimos
choosy (More informal and often slightly critical; suggests someone is hard to please.)
Antónimos
unselective (Neutral or technical; describes accepting or including almost everything without careful choice.)
Colocações
be selective about
|highly selective
|selective school
|selective college
|selective admissions
|selective breeding
Temas
daily life
|social
|education
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Exemplos
- You have to be selective about which job offers you accept.
- The company is very selective in choosing new suppliers.
- This is a highly selective university that admits only a small percentage of applicants.
- She’s quite selective when it comes to her friends.
- The breeder was extremely selective, allowing only the strongest animals to reproduce.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- You should be selective about the food you eat.
- That school is very selective and hard to get into.
- He is selective and does not go to every party.
- The club is selective and only takes ten new members each year.
- My parents are selective when they buy clothes.
adjective
technical
C1
property
2
affecting only certain types or parts
Working on or for only one type of thing, person, or part, and not on others.
Padrão de uso:
a selective [drug/filter/policy] for [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse this technical sense with the everyday "picky" meaning. In science and medicine, "selective" usually means *"specific to certain targets"*, not that a person or organization is being choosy. For example, a "selective drug" is one that acts mainly on one receptor type, not a medicine that someone has carefully chosen.
Sinónimos
specific (Common in scientific and technical language; emphasizes being limited to a particular target rather than generally narrow or picky.)
Antónimos
nonselective (Technical term for something that affects many types or parts without distinction.)
Colocações
selective drug
|selective toxicity
|selective pressure
|selective filter
|selective attention
|selective targeting
Temas
science
|medicine
|technology
|politics
Exemplos
- This medication is highly selective for cancer cells and spares most healthy tissue.
- The new pesticide is more selective, killing only the target insects.
- Selective laser therapy allows surgeons to treat damaged blood vessels without harming the surrounding skin.
- Engineers developed a selective filter that blocks noise at certain frequencies.
- The virus shows a selective preference for specific nerve cells.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Scientists want a drug that is selective for cancer cells.
- This filter is selective and lets only some colors of light pass.
- The treatment is selective, so it does not hurt healthy cells.
- The poison is not selective and kills many kinds of animals.
- A selective policy helps only one small group of people.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
selective
IPA
GB/səlˈɛktɪv/
US/səlˈɛktɪv/
Sílabas e acento
se - lect - ive (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lect)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: selective
Família de palavras
Related words
selectable
adjective
selector
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unselective
adjective
Advanced or less common
selectivity
noun C1
Expressões
be selective about
1/bˈi səlˈɛktɪv əbˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
choose carefully in a specific area
To choose carefully and not accept everything in a particular area, such as food, friends, or jobs.
Exemplos
- You should be selective about the information you share online.
- I’ve learned to be selective about the projects I take on.
highly selective
1/hˈaɪli səlˈɛktɪv/
fixed phrase
very limited or choosy
Accepting or affecting only a very small number of people or things.
Exemplos
- It’s a highly selective program that only takes twenty students a year.
- This drug is highly selective and mainly affects one type of receptor.
selective breeding
1/səlˈɛktɪv bɹˈidɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
controlled breeding for desired traits
Breeding plants or animals by choosing parents with special qualities you want in the next generation.
Exemplos
- Dogs have been shaped by centuries of selective breeding.
- Selective breeding produced cows that give more milk.
selective college
1/səlˈɛktɪv kˈɑlɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
college that is hard to get into
A college or university that accepts only a small number of people who apply.
Exemplos
- Getting into a selective college often requires strong grades and test scores.
- He applied to several selective colleges on the East Coast.
selective hearing
1/səlˈɛktɪv hˈɪɹɪŋ/
idiom
informal
hearing only what you want
Only seeming to hear and notice the things you want to hear, and ignoring the rest.
Exemplos
- Teenagers are famous for their selective hearing.
- He has selective hearing when I ask him to help with the housework.
selective memory
1/səlˈɛktɪv mˈɛmɚi/
idiom
informal
remembering only convenient things
When someone remembers only the things that make them look good or feel good, and forgets other things.
Exemplos
- He seems to have a very selective memory about his mistakes.
- You have selective memory if you only remember the times you were right.
selective school
1/səlˈɛktɪv skˈul/
fixed phrase
school with limited admissions
A school that only accepts students who pass tests or meet special conditions.
Exemplos
- She studied hard to get into a selective school.
- Many selective schools require entrance exams.
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
1/səlˈɛktɪv sɚətˈoʊnɪn ɹˈuptˌeɪk ɪnhˈɪbətɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
type of antidepressant medicine (SSRI)
A common type of antidepressant medicine that mainly affects the brain chemical serotonin.
Exemplos
- Her doctor prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor to treat her depression.
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are often known by the short name SSRIs.