Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Selective for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Selective" — adjective, pronounced /sɪˈlɛktɪv/, with the stress on "lec".
Narrator: Selective means tending to choose carefully, or available only to a chosen few.
Narrator: In plain English, a selective school chooses its pupils, and a selective shopper picks carefully.
Narrator: It comes from the verb select, from the Latin seligere, meaning to choose, from se- apart and legere, to gather.
Narrator: "A selective school" describes a school that admits only pupils who pass an exam.
Narrator: It differs from choosy because selective is more formal and positive, whereas choosy is informal.
Narrator: "Selective memory" is a sense meaning remembering only what suits you.
Narrator: Education, shopping, recruitment and psychology all rely on the word selective.
Narrator: So remember: selective means choosing carefully, from the Latin for to choose.
Speaker A: What does selective mean?
Speaker B: Choosing carefully! SELECTIVE comes from the verb select, from the Latin seligere, to choose, so it means tending to pick carefully, or available only to some.
Speaker A: So a selective school chooses pupils?
Speaker B: Yes — by exam!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "A selective school"; "selective memory"; "be selective" — education, psychology and advice.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't confuse selective with elect, because selective means choosing carefully, while elect means chosen or to vote for.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: 'Choosy' the informal cousin, 'picky' the fussy twin, 'discerning' the tasteful alternative. The word keeps its choosing charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "selective" in AI prompts — useful for education apps and shopping tools.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame education?
Speaker B: Right. For an education app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short guide to selective schools, naming two features.
Speaker A: How about a shopping tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to advise:
Prompt: Draft a guide to being a selective shopper, naming two tips.
Speaker A: Could it help with a recruitment bot?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame hiring:
Prompt: Summarise in two sentences why employers are selective, naming one criterion.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a psychology chatbot, try this:
Prompt: Write a short note on selective memory, naming one example.
Selective — meaning in Arabic & definition More S courses GL Dictionary