SELECT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does select mean? 

• SELECT (adjective)
  The adjective SELECT has 2 senses:

1. of superior grade

2. selected or chosen for special qualifications

  Familiarity information: SELECT used as an adjective is rare.

• SELECT (verb)
  The verb SELECT has 1 sense:

1. pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

  Familiarity information: SELECT used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SELECT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of superior grade

Synonyms:

choice; prime; prize; quality; select

Context example:

select peaches

Similar:

superior (of high or superior quality or performance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Selected or chosen for special qualifications

Synonyms:

blue-ribbon; select

Context example:

the blue-ribbon event of the season

Similar:

superior (of high or superior quality or performance)

• SELECT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they select    ... he / she / it selects   
Past simple: selected   
Past participle: selected   
-ing form: selecting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

choose; pick out; select; take

Context example:

She selected a pair of shoes from among the dozen the salesgirl had shown her

Hypernyms (to "select" is one way to...):

decide; determine; make up one's mind (reach, make, or come to a decision about something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "select"):

cream off; skim off (pick the best)

vote (express one's preference for a candidate or for a measure or resolution; cast a vote)

nominate; propose (put forward; nominate for appointment to an office or for an honor or position)

elect (select by a vote for an office or membership)

vote in (elect in a voting process)

screen; screen out; sieve; sort (examine in order to test suitability)

adopt; espouse; follow (choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans)

define; determine; fix; limit; set; specify (decide upon or fix definitely)

think of (choose in one's mind)

single out (select from a group)

assign; set apart; specify (select something or someone for a specific purpose)

pick over; sieve out (separate or remove)

empanel; impanel; panel (select from a list)

cull out; winnow (select desirable parts from a group or list)

excerpt; extract; take out (take out of a literary work in order to cite or copy)

elect (choose)

pick (select carefully from a group)

go; plump (give support (to) or make a choice (of) one out of a group or number)

dial (choose by means of a dial)

draw (select or take in from a given group or region)

sieve; sift (distinguish and separate out)

field (select (a team or individual player) for a game)

anoint (choose by or as if by divine intervention)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They select him to write the letter

Derivation:

selection (the act of choosing or selecting)

selective (tending to select; characterized by careful choice)

selective (characterized by very careful or fastidious selection)

selector (a person who chooses or selects out)

 Context examples 

The cat gene is used to select chloramphenicol-resistant colonies following genetic transfection of bacteria.

(CAT Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

She then selected two or three of the little instruments, and a little bottle, and asked (to my surprise) if the table would bear.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

In lab experiments, bees can count upwards of five and can be trained to select the smaller or larger of two values.

(Scientists Discover Bees Can Count Using Only Four Brain Cells, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

This leads to clonal populations of lymphocytes expressing the unique proteins selected during maturation.

(Clonal Gene Rearrangement, NCI Thesaurus)

"Why didn't you select a nice subject?" she was saying.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Buck wondered where they went, for they never came back; but the fear of the future was strong upon him, and he was glad each time when he was not selected.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Henderson duplicated it, selecting Harrison’s right oar.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The scientists carefully selected clinically approved drugs that work synergistically.

(Antibiotic Combinations May Combat MRSA Infections, NIH)

Lord Godalming smiled, and the man lifted a good-sized bunch of keys; selecting one of them, he began to probe the lock, as if feeling his way with it.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Cancer types were selected for analysis if there were at least 300 cases.

(Physical activity associated with lower risk of many cancers, NIH)