Meaning & use
being selective
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Meanings
phraseidiom
The act or habit of choosing only certain things or people and rejecting the rest.
Grammar: Acts like a noun: it can be a subject or follow a preposition.
Patterns
- being selective about something
- being selective with something
- being selective in something
Being selective about which emails you answer can save you hours.
She is very selective about the friends she trusts.
Being selective in your reading helps you remember more.
phraseidiom
Showing careful judgment so that only the best or most suitable are chosen.
Grammar: Often used to describe an organization or a person's approach, not a single object.
Patterns
- being selective in choosing someone/something
The club is known for being selective in choosing new members.
Being selective means you sometimes say no to good offers.
Common combinations
- being selective about
- They are being selective about which projects to fund.
- being selective with
- Be selective with your words when you write to a client.
- highly selective
- The school is highly selective and accepts few students.
- being selective in
- Being selective in your spending is not the same as being stingy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- choosy
- More informal and often slightly disapproving; 'selective' sounds neutral or positive.
- picky
- Disapproving and suggests someone is hard to please; 'selective' suggests good judgment.
- discriminating
- Formal and emphasizes fine taste; 'selective' is broader and more common.
Opposites
Word family
- selective adjective
- Careful about what you choose; choosing only some things.
- select verb
- To choose someone or something from a group.
- selection noun
- The act of choosing, or a group of chosen things.
- selectively adverb
- In a way that chooses only certain things.
Commonly confused: being selective or being elected?
being selective vs being elected
'Elected' means chosen by voting for a position; 'selective' means choosing carefully.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'being selective' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Being selective about' is the standard pattern. 'Selective to' and 'selective for' do not fit this meaning, and 'selective of accept' is not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “being selective”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.