un selective

adjective

having the function or power of selecting; making a selection.

characterized by selection, especially fastidious selection.

of or pertaining to selection.

Electricity, Radio. having good selectivity.

Origin:
1615–25; select + -ive

Related forms

se·lec·tive·ly, adverb

se·lec·tive·ness, noun

non·se·lec·tive, adjective

un·se·lec·tive, adjective

Synonyms
2. discriminating, particular, discerning.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source

Link To un selective

00:10

Un selective is always a great word to know.

So is quincunx. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

selective (sɪˈlɛktɪv)

—*adj*
1.	of or characterized by selection
2.	tending to choose carefully or characterized by careful choice
3.	electronics occurring at, operating at, or capable of separating out a particular frequency or band of frequencies

se'lectively

—*adv*

se'lectiveness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Matching Quote

"Whereas the child is chiefly playful and experimental, the adult focuses on specific and conscious experiences. He practices selective inattention to the objects for which he has no immediate use and develops a kind of tunnel vision that helps him to move toward selected goals. This focusing on a limited range of experiences and goals is largely responsible for one's individual evolution and gives a deep and almost tragic significance to a statement made by Albert Camus in his novel La Chute: "Après un certain âge tout homme est responsable do son visage." An almost identical statement appears as the last entry in George Orwell's notebooks: "At 50, everyone has the face he deserves." There could not any more absolute affirmation of belief in personal responsibility for the quality of one's own life and character."

-Rene Dubos

Upgrade to Ad-free Premium Membership!