selective
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selective
Choosing in a targeted way; taking only certain things from a larger set into account.
Sie hat einen sehr selektiven Musikgeschmack und hört nur wenige Künstler.
She has very selective taste in music and listens to only a few artists.
selective
Affecting only certain things; showing a specific effect.
Dieses Medikament wirkt selektiv auf bestimmte Zellen im Körper.
This medication acts selectively on certain cells in the body.
If you want to describe more precisely in which area someone is picky or selective, German often uses the preposition 'bei' with the dative. The structure is then: 'selektiv bei etwas sein' (to be selective about something).
Er ist sehr selektiv bei der Auswahl seiner Bücher.
He is very selective when choosing his books.
In the meaning 'choosing/selective,' 'selektiv' (selective) is often used in connection with perception and memory. A common collocation is 'selektive Wahrnehmung' (selective perception), which means that one only notices what one wants to notice.
Manchmal wirft man ihm eine sehr selektive Erinnerung an die Ereignisse vor.
Sometimes he is accused of having a very selective memory of the events.
The meaning 'having a specific effect' is found almost only in scientific or technical texts. Signal words here are 'wirken' (to act/have an effect), 'Wirkung' (effect), 'Wirkstoff' (active ingredient), or 'Filter' (filter). It describes that something reacts only to a specific target.
Dieser Wirkstoff zerstört selektiv nur die kranken Zellen.
This active ingredient selectively destroys only the diseased cells.
specific
Spezifisch and selektiv can both describe an effect on particular cells or substances. Spezifisch emphasizes a fixed binding to a particular target, while selektiv highlights a preference for that target over other possible targets. Use spezifisch for precise target binding and selektiv for choosing between multiple targets.
Der Wirkstoff wirkt selektiv auf bestimmte Zellen und schont andere.
The active substance acts selectively on certain cells while sparing others.
Der Wirkstoff bindet spezifisch an einen bestimmten Rezeptor.
The active substance binds specifically to a particular receptor.
