selectively
/səˈlektɪvli/suh-LEK-tiv-lee
/səˈlɛktɪvli/suh-LEK-tiv-lee
Meaningin a way that is picking out
Common meaning: in a selective way
- seapart, aside
- lectto gather, pick out; to readLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1048 · scan
- iveadjective ending: tending to
- lyadverb ending: in a way
‘apart, aside’ + ‘to gather, pick out’ → selectively
Journey through time
- Latinlegō, lēgī, lēctum‘to gather, pick out’
- Englishselective‘choosing carefully’
- Englishformed in English from selectiveselectively‘in a selective way’ · today
Sources & notes
Inferred source: no dictionary we use has an entry for this exact word. Its history is worked out from closely related, listed words in the same family, and we are trusting that link, so bear that in mind. Inferred meaning: in a way that is picking out. It can be inferred from any of: selective.
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from selective + -ly (inferred: this exact word is not listed in our dictionaries).
Roots
- legō, lēgī, lēctum Latin “to gather, pick out; to read”
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