SELECTIVE


Meaning of SELECTIVE in English

1.

A ~ process applies only to a few things or people.

Selective breeding may result in a greyhound running faster and seeing better than a wolf.

ADJ: ADJ n

~ly

Within the project, trees are ~ly cut on a 25-year rotation.

ADV: usu ADV with v

selectivity

The soldiers specialized in going out in small groups, to kill with a very high degree of selectivity.

N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp

2.

When someone is ~, they choose things carefully, for example the things that they buy or do.

Sales still happen, but buyers are more ~...

ADJ: usu v-link ADJ

~ly

...people on small incomes who wanted to shop ~ly.

ADV: ADV with v

3.

If you say that someone has a ~ memory, you disapprove of the fact that they remember certain facts about something and deliberately forget others, often because it is convenient for them to do so.

We seem to have a ~ memory for the best bits of the past...

ADJ: usu ADJ n disapproval

~ly

...a tendency to ~ly forget all the adverse effects of the drug.

ADV: ADV with v

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .