Meaning & use
non-selective
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Not choosing or based on selection; open to all without special criteria.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a non-selective school. It can also follow a linking verb: The process is non-selective.
Patterns
- non-selective school
- non-selective admissions
- non-selective process
The city has several non-selective high schools that admit students regardless of test scores.
Non-selective universities often have larger and more diverse student bodies.
The committee wanted a non-selective approach so that everyone could apply.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Not affecting only one thing; acting on everything without discrimination.
Grammar: Used especially in science and medicine: a non-selective drug.
Patterns
- non-selective drug
- non-selective herbicide
A non-selective herbicide kills all plants, not just weeds.
The medication is non-selective, so it affects many parts of the body.
Common combinations
- non-selective school
- A non-selective school accepts pupils of all abilities.
- non-selective admissions
- The college uses non-selective admissions for most programs.
- non-selective herbicide
- This non-selective herbicide should be used carefully around garden plants.
- non-selective process
- The filtering is non-selective and removes both good and bad particles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inclusive
- Inclusive means welcoming everyone, often as a positive goal; non-selective is more neutral and simply states there is no selection.
- open
- Open means available to all, similar to non-selective, but open is more common in everyday speech.
Opposites
Word family
- selective adjective
- Choosing carefully or based on specific criteria.
- selectively adverb
- In a way that involves careful choice.
- selection noun
- The act of choosing from a group.
Commonly confused: non-selective or selective?
non-selective vs selective
Selective means choosing carefully, while non-selective means the opposite: not choosing or open to all.
Practice
The school does not require an entrance exam and accepts all students, so it is ______.
Choose one answer.
Non-selective fits because the school accepts everyone without selection. Selective would mean it chooses carefully, selectively is an adverb, and selection is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-selective”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.