Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of or relating to a selection by vote.
- adjective Filled or obtained by election.
- adjective Having the power or authority to elect; electoral.
- adjective Permitting or involving a choice; optional.
- noun An optional academic course or subject.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Chosen by election; dependent on choice; bestowed or passing by election: as, an elective monarchy (one in which the king is raised to the throne by election); the office is elective: opposed to hereditary, or to tenure by appointment.
- Pertaining or relating to or consisting in the choice or right of choosing by vote: as, the elective principle in government; the elective franchise.
- Exerting the power of choice.
- Selecting for combination: as, an elective attraction, which is a tendency in bodies to unite with certain kinds of matter in preference to other kinds.
- noun In the colleges of the United States, an optional study; any one of a number of studies from which the scholar is allowed to select that which he prefers.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Exerting the power of choice; selecting.
- adjective Pertaining to, or consisting in, choice, or right of choosing; electoral.
- adjective Bestowed or passing by election
- adjective Dependent on choice; that can be refused. Opposite of
required ormandatory . - adjective (Chem.) a tendency to unite with certain things; chemism.
- noun colloq. In an American college, an optional study or course of study; a course that is not required.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Of, or pertaining to
voting orelections - adjective That involves a
choice betweenoptions ;optional ordiscretionary - noun Something that is option or that may be
elected , especially a course of tertiary study.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a course that the student can select from among alternatives
- adjective subject to popular election
- adjective not compulsory
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf, well, the vice president's office tells us that he's going to have what they call elective surgery, to remove an aneurysm in the artery behind his right knee, and that is going to happen next weekend, according to top aide, Steve Schmidt.
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Solomon John thought the trouble might be in what they called the elective system, where you were to choose what study you might take.
The Peterkin Papers 1860
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So Ayotte has no prior experience in elective office?
New Hampshire Democrats using Palin in fundraising appeal 2009
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Anybody who showed up down there right now with a key to the office and the electrical system would have guaranteed lifetime tenure in elective office around here.
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My father called politics an honorable profession, and I have profound respect for those who choose to advance the causes of social and economic justice in elective office.
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Ayotte has no prior experience in elective office?
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Anybody who showed up down there right now with a key to the office and the electrical system would have guaranteed lifetime tenure in elective office around here.
Dave Chappelle at Pioneer Courthouse Square at midnight? (Jack Bog's Blog) 2009
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Although I do not know Mr. Burris personally, he has served the State of Illinois in elective office for many years.
Burris Enters, Then Leaves the Capitol - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2009
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There are way too many Conservatives in elective office at this time.
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Although I do not know Mr. Burris personally, he has served the State of Illinois in elective office for many years.
Burris Enters, Then Leaves the Capitol - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2009
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