Definition of "selective"

selective

/səˈlɛktɪv/

adjective
comparative more selective, superlative most selective
1. Of or relating to the process of selection.
  Quotations
  The selective algorithm excludes the redundant classifiers to construct a streamlined ensemble learning.
  2016, Xingming Sun, Alex Liu, Han-Chieh Chao, Cloud Computing and Security: Second International Conference, ICCCS 2016, Nanjing, China, July 29-31, 2016, Revised Selected Papers (part 2, page 579)
2. (biology) Of or relating to natural selection.
3. (of a person) choosy, fussy or discriminating when selecting.
4. (chiefly US, not comparable) Having the authority or capability to make a selection.
5. Of or relating to the social work approach called selectivity.
  Quotations
  Eligibility criteria form the essence of selective programs and individuals are evaluated using a means test.
  2006, Francis J. Turner, Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work, page 189