selective

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 inspector general’s office based its findings on a review of a selective or “purposive” sampling of 40 nursing-home inspections and admits the findings can’t easily be extrapolated to all facilities.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

OpenAI would likely argue that it is focusing on a more selective audience within Silicon Valley.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

In this case, an "and" logic gate ensures that the drug activates only when both cancer markers are present, making the treatment highly selective.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

“Some of these were based on complete junk science and a selective cherry-picking of statistics,” Ms. Dhillon says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

If he got rejected at Chicago, would he muster the confidence to try again, perhaps at a slightly less selective school like Loyola or DePaul or the U of I?

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz