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unselective

unselective

6.7
Not choosing carefully and not preferring one kind over another
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌn.sɪˈlɛk.tɪv/
translation icon : no selectivo
  • And sometimes This is why I always say be very unselective about who you will meet or have a conversation with.

And sometimes This is why I always say be very unselective about who you will meet or have a conversation with.

Examples

  • We have learned from studies of mammals that large animals are generally unselective feeders.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The consequences of overfishing and unselective fishing are numerous.

    Academic text (2017)
  • But there's also public goods, right, which are projects that benefit a large and unselective group of people.

  • A voracious and unselective appetite was one of his house troll's few shortcomings.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Alas, like most very long biographies, Thelonious Monk is encrusted with unselective detail that contributes little to the reader's understanding of its subject.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Kahane himself acknowledges this truth in another part of his text, thus leaving him in the position of arguing that selective application of principles is fallacious, and that unselective application is also fallacious.

    Academic text (1990)
  • And by allowing it to be replicated again and again, both lyrics and recordings oblige readers and listeners to recall what may appear to be a perplexingly arbitrary and unselective rendering of events.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Large animals are often unselective in their feeding habits, consuming a wide variety of plants.

  • His unselective approach to friendships meant he made connections with people from all walks of life.

  • The marketing campaign targeted an unselective audience, reaching anyone interested in the product.

Synonyms

indiscriminate
vsunselective
23 7.2

Happening without careful choice of people or things

is the same idea but emphasizes lack of preference
promiscuous
vsunselective
4 7.4

Choosing without care and accepting many different types

focuses on not choosing carefully rather than only being broad
nonselective
vsunselective
1 5.1

Not limited to one group or type

highlights lack of careful choice rather than breadth
undiscriminating
vsunselective
1 6.9

A person who cannot tell good from bad

means not choosing carefully rather than showing poor judgement
nonpreferential
vsunselective
7.2

Not giving an advantage to one person or group over others

concerns careless selection rather than equal or fair treatment

Antonyms

118 4.3

To choose carefully and accept only certain people or things

How Selective

choosy
15 3.9
selective
118 4.3
unselective
6.7

Surface Forms

unselective positive

Morphology

unselective = selective (transparent) = un + select + ive

The prefix 'un-' negates the adjective 'selective', yielding a direct opposite meaning that learners can infer.

Etymology

Unselective is made of the prefix un- meaning 'not' and the word select meaning 'to choose'. So, unselective describes someone or something that does not choose carefully or has no preference.