Hypertext Webster Gateway: "elective"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Elective \E*lect"ive\, n.
In an American college, an optional study or course of study.
[Colloq.]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Elective \E*lect"ive\, a. [Cf. F. ['e]lectif.]
1. Exerting the power of choice; selecting; as, an elective
act.
2. Pertaining to, or consisting in, choice, or right of
choosing; electoral.
The independent use of their elective franchise.
--Bancroft.
3. Dependent on choice; bestowed or passing by election; as,
an elective study; an elective office.
Kings of Rome were at first elective; . . . for such
are the conditions of an elective kingdom. --Dryden.
{Elective affinity} or {attraction} (Chem.), a tendency to
unite with certain things; chemism.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
elective
adj 1: subject to popular election; "elective official" [syn: {elected}]
[ant: {appointive}]
2: not compulsory; "elective surgery"; "an elective course of
study"
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.