elective

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Related to elective: Elective affinity, Elective surgery

e·lec·tive

(ĭ-lĕk′tĭv)

adj.

1. Of or relating to a selection by vote.

2. Filled or obtained by election: elective office.

3. Having the power or authority to elect; electoral.

4. Permitting or involving a choice; optional: elective surgery.

An optional academic course or subject.

e·lec′tive·ly adv.

e·lec′tive·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

elective

(ɪˈlɛktɪv)

adj

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) of or based on selection by vote: elective procedure.

2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) selected by vote: an elective official.

3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) having the power to elect

4. (Education) open to choice; optional: an elective course of study.

(Education) an optional course or hospital placement undertaken by a medical student

eˈlectively adv

electivity, eˈlectiveness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

e•lec•tive

(ɪˈlɛk tɪv)

adj.

1. derived from the principle of electing to an office, position, etc.

2. chosen by election, as an official.

3. empowered to elect a candidate, as a body of persons.

4. open to choice; optional: elective surgery.

5. a course that a student may select from among alternatives.

[1520–30; < Medieval Latin]

e•lec′tive•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	elective - a course that the student can select from among alternatives elective course course, course of instruction, course of study, class - education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings; "he took a course in basket weaving"; "flirting is not unknown in college classes"
Adj.	1.	elective - subject to popular election; "elective official" elected appointed, appointive - subject to appointment
	2.	elective - not compulsory; "elective surgery"; "an elective course of study" optional - possible but not necessary; left to personal choice

elective

adjective

Not compulsory or automatic:

discretionary, facultative, optional.

Translations

äänestysvaalivalinnainen

électif

választott

elettivo

elective

[ɪˈlektɪv]

A. ADJ

1. (Univ) [course] → optativo, opcional; [assembly] → electivo

2. [surgery] → optativo

B. N (US) (Scol) → asignatura f optativa, optativa f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

elective

[ɪˈlɛktɪv]

adj [office] → électif/ive; [committee] → électif/ive

n (US) (= option) → cours m facultatifelective surgery n → chirurgie f non urgente

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

elective

adj

democracy → mit Wahlen; elective assembly → Wahlversammlung f; elective dictatorship → gewählte Diktatur; elective office/post Amt, das/Posten, der durch Wahl besetzt wird; he has never won/held elective office → er ist noch nie zu einem Amt gewählt worden

(Med) surgery → nicht unbedingt notwendig; abortion → nicht medizinisch indiziert

(US: Sch, Univ: = optional) course → wahlfrei; elective subject → Wahlfach nt

n (US: Sch, Univ) → Wahlfach nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

elective

[ɪˈlɛktɪv] adj → elettivo/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

elective

a. electivo-a, elegido-a;

___ surgery → cirugía ___, planeada;

___ therapy → terapia ___.

elective

adj (surg) programado, electivo

References in classic literature ?

This, then, is one species of monarchical government in which the kingly power is in a general for life; and is sometimes hereditary, sometimes elective: besides, there is also another, which is to be met with among some of the barbarians, in which the kings are invested with powers nearly equal to a tyranny, yet are, in some respects, bound by the laws and the customs of their country; for as the barbarians are by nature more prone to slavery than the Greeks, and those in Asia more than those in Europe, they endure without murmuring a despotic government; for this reason their governments are tyrannies; but yet not liable to be overthrown, as being customary and according to law.

These, then, are the two different sorts of these monarchies, and another is that which in ancient Greece they called aesumnetes ; which is nothing more than an elective tyranny; and its difference from that which is to be found amongst the barbarians consists not in its' not being according to law, but only in its not being according to the ancient customs of the country.

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Thinking it might possibly be in the enjoyment of the elective franchise, he gave it a cordial and earnest grasp.

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A well-constituted court for the trial of impeachments is an object not more to be desired than difficult to be obtained in a government wholly elective. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.

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His idea was a republic, with- out privileged orders, but with a hereditary royal family at the head of it instead of an elective chief magistrate.

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The foundation of the original government of Rome was laid by Romulus, and the work completed by two of his elective successors, Numa and Tullius Hostilius.

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I do not care to think of it; but it was elective, for the threatened blow did not descend.

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At last it seemed settled that the rightful distinction was that the proprietors should have more elective franchise than non-proprietors, on the Spartan principle of "calling that which is just, equal; not that which is equal, just."

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Has the naturalist or chemist learned his craft, who has explored the gravity of atoms and the elective affinities, who has not yet discerned the deeper law whereof this is only a partial or approximate statement, namely that like draws to like, and that the goods which belong to you gravitate to you and need not be pursued with pains and cost?

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We have all heard of King Log; but, in these jostling times, one of that royal kindred will hardly win the race for an elective chief-magistracy.

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Again, if this elective body, changing from time to time according to the needs and ideas of those whom it represents, should refuse obedience to a bad law in the name of the people, well and good.

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The salon d'Esgrignon represented the upper aristocracy (the returning Troisvilles attached themselves to it); the Cormon salon represented, under the clever influence of du Bousquier, that fatal class of opinions which, without being truly liberal or resolutely royalist, gave birth to the 221 on that famous day when the struggle openly began between the most august, grandest, and only true power, ROYALTY, and the most false, most changeful, most oppressive of all powers,--the power called PARLIAMENTARY, which elective assemblies exercise.