elective Hear it!

elective definition

elec·tive (ē lek′tiv, i-)

adjective

    1. filled by election an elective office
    2. chosen by election; elected
  2. of or based on election
  3. having the power to choose
  4. that may be chosen but is not required; optional
  5. Now Rare having or referring to a tendency to attract or combine with certain substances in preference to others

Etymology: ME < LL electivus

noun

an optional course or subject in a school or college curriculum

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

elective Synonyms

elective

modif.

  1. Pertaining to the right to choose by vote

    constituent, voting, elected; see electoral.

  2. Subject to choice

    voluntary, discretionary, not required, not compulsory; see optional.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

elective Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • choose: Students opting for a general MBA can choose any three electives from the total on offer.

Adjective modifier

  • medical: Our informal oenological academy has been going for five years with people dropping out for finals and medical electives, and jobs.

Modifies a noun

  • cesarean: Elective cesarean to avoid birth injuries in large babies?

Noun used with modifier

  • specialist: Drawing on these disciplines, a student may choose to select a pathway for his/her specialist electives.

Infinitive complement

  • spend: Anna Rawlinson, Kings College London, was awarded £ 1,000 for a midwifery elective to spend seven weeks in Indonesia and Australia.

Preposition: in

  • year: Individuals will have the opportunity to pursue a free elective in the final year of the degree.

Preposition: from

  • range: You will study 7 core Modules and then choose 1 Elective from a range of topics covering the main areas of interest in marketing.

Preposition: for

  • student: TLMS directly supports our missionaries in India, Nepal and the Sudan as well as short term electives for clinical students.
elective usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"elective." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/elective>

APA Style

elective. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/elective

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