select
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
adjective
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chosen in preference to another or others; selected.
-
of special value or excellence; choice.
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careful or fastidious in selecting; discriminating.
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carefully or fastidiously chosen; exclusive.
a select group of friends.
verb
adjective
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Also: selected. chosen in preference to another or others
-
of particular quality or excellence
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limited as to membership or entry
a select gathering
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careful in making a choice
Related Words
See choose.
Other Word Forms
- nonselected adjective
- reselect verb (used with object)
- selectability noun
- selectable adjective
- selectly adverb
- selectness noun
- selector noun
- unselect adjective
- unselected adjective
- well-selected adjective
Etymology
Origin of select
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin sēlēctus (past participle of sēligere “to gather apart”), equivalent to sē- “apart” + leg(ere) “to gather, choose” + -tus past participle suffix; lection ( def. ), se-
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The U.S. has had a year to fine-tune its targeting plans and selected countermeasures for the exact radars Iran uses.
The airport selected 38 successful Londoners whose smiling, waving images would be used on large posters at Heathrow to welcome visitors to the city.
From BBC
In 1989, Khamenei was selected by the Assembly of Experts, a council of clerics, as the successor to Khomeini, who had died at the age of 86.
From BBC
Iran’s Constitution dictates a new leader would be selected by an Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics.
From Los Angeles Times
Dubai’s Emirates, for instance, is one of only a select group of airlines flying Airbus’ A380 jets, the largest commercial plane ever built, with room for more than 500 passengers.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
