selectivity
noun
selectivity is spelled S-E-L-E-C-T-I-V-I-T-Y: 11 letters and 5 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, selectivity means “The quality of being selective, or extent to which something is selective” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of selectivity is selectivities.
How many letters and syllables are in selectivity?
| Letters | 11: S-E-L-E-C-T-I-V-I-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,998th 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 selectivity?
Selectivity appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th 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 selectivity?
- US
Selectivity has 5 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)-Flame,_not_lame-selectivity.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of selectivity
- selectivities plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does selectivity mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The quality of being selective, or extent to which something is selective.
- 2
The ability of a radio receiver to separate a desired signal frequency from others.
- 3
Discrimination of a reactant towards a choice of other reactants; the ratio of rate constants for different reactants.
- 4
An approach to social work that prioritizes people perceived as having the most need for assistance.
Proponents of selectivity herald its cost effectiveness; instead of resources being spread over a vast population, money or services can be used where they are most needed. This can help fill in the gaps between needy and non-needy groups.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Selectivity in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sélectivité |
| German | Selektivität, Trennschärfe , Abstimmschärfe, Empfindlichkeit |
| Portuguese | seletividade |
| Spanish | selectividad |
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.
Where does selectivity come from?
From selective + -ity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).