What does select mean?
Select means to choose something from a group, range, or set of possibilities. The word is commonly used when a deliberate decision is being made, as in selecting a candidate, an option, a course, or items from a list. It also has a technical use in computing and document editing: a user selects text, an object, or a menu option in order to act on it. Although “choose” can sometimes be interchanged with “select,” select often suggests a more precise or systematic choice. As an adjective, select means carefully chosen or distinguished, while selective describes a tendency to favour certain options. The noun is now uncommon, but it can refer to something chosen or to the act or result of choosing. Select is useful in contexts where a choice from alternatives must be recorded or communicated clearly.
To choose a person or thing from a number of possibilities.
"Please select the option that best describes your needs."
Select often implies a deliberate or systematic choice from a defined group.
Carefully chosen or distinguished; choice.
"The restaurant offers a select group of highly regarded wines."
This use is relatively formal and literary. It should not be confused with selective, which describes a process or inclination involving choice.
Something chosen from a group; a selection.
"The finest select from the harvest was reserved for the household."
The noun is uncommon in modern English and chiefly occurs in formal or literary contexts.
The plural is uncommon because the noun sense is rarely used.
"The curator chose several of the artist's selects for the exhibition."
Select comes from a Latin word literally meaning “to pick out,” the same basic idea behind choosing one item from many.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does select come from?
The verb select comes from Latin seligere, formed from se- and legere, meaning “to gather, pick out.” Its past participle, selectus, gave Old French select and ultimately English select. The word is related to other English forms from the same Latin root, including elective, eligible, collector, and legible.
Related word forms
How select is actually used
In ordinary use, select often suggests choosing deliberately from a defined group. It is especially common in formal, technical, and administrative contexts, while choose is broader and more conversational.
Easily confused with select
Select means to choose something, whereas selective describes a process or attitude involving careful or preferential choice.