selective
/səˈlɛktɪv/adjective
selective is spelled S-E-L-E-C-T-I-V-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 7.6 times per million words in written English, the 8,542nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, selective means “Of or relating to the process of selection” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in selective?
| Letters | 9: S-E-L-E-C-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.6 times per million words; the 8,542nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is selective?
Selective appears 7.6 times per million words in written English, the 8,542nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce selective?
- /səˈlɛktɪv/
Selective has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-selective.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of selective
- more selective comparative
- most selective superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does selective mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to the process of selection.
- 2
Of or relating to natural selection.
selective pressure
- 3
Choosy, fussy or discriminating when selecting.
He's very selective and spent hours in the store choosing a new shirt.
- 4
USHaving the authority or capability to make a selection.
In the USA, military conscription is controlled by the Selective Service.
- 5
Of or relating to the social work approach called selectivity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Selective in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense of or pertaining to the process of selection:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sélectif |
| German | selektiv, auswählend, herausgreifend, ausgewählt, gezielt, punktuell |
| Portuguese | seletivo |
| Spanish | selectivo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.