selectively

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adverb

In a selective manner, only affecting or applying to some selected cases.

OriginProto-Germanic *līką ← Proto-Indo-European *leyg- ← English selective →
Less commonScrabble 19
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Meanings

adverbselectively (comparative more selectively, superlative most selectively)

comparative more selectively · superlative most selectively

  1. In a selective manner, only affecting or applying to some selected cases.

    Our prototype implements a basic pharming attack to selectively misresolve the client domain name requests.

    2006, Markus Jakobsson, Steven Myers, Phishing and Countermeasures, page 128

Origin

  1. Englishselective
  2. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  3. Proto-Germanic*līką
  4. Englishselectively

From selective + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan selectivament
  • selectivamentin a selective manner
Finnish valikoivasti
  • valikoivastiin a selective manner
Portuguese seletivamente
  • seletivamentein a selective manner
Slovak selektívne
  • selektívnein a selective manner
Spanish selectivamente
  • selectivamentein a selective manner
Cite this entry
APA

selectively. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selectively

MLA

“selectively.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selectively. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “selectively,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selectively.

Source: selectively on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.