elective

elective
    adj 1: subject to popular election; "elective official" [syn:
           {elective}, {elected}] [ant: {appointed}, {appointive}]
    2: not compulsory; "elective surgery"; "an elective course of
       study"
    n 1: a course that the student can select from among
         alternatives [syn: {elective course}, {elective}]
    

Elective \E*lect"ive\, n.
   In an American college, an optional study or course of study;
   a course that is not required. [Colloq.]
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Elective \E*lect"ive\, a. [Cf. F. ['e]lectif.]
   1. Exerting the power of choice; selecting; as, an elective
      act.
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   2. Pertaining to, or consisting in, choice, or right of
      choosing; electoral.
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            The independent use of their elective franchise.
                                                  --Bancroft.
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   3. Bestowed or passing by election; as, an elective office.
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            Kings of Rome were at first elective; . . . for such
            are the conditions of an elective kingdom. --Dryden.
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   4. Dependent on choice; that can be refused; as, an elective
      college course. Opposite of {required} or {mandatory}.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

   {Elective affinity} or {Elective attraction} (Chem.), a
      tendency to unite with certain things; chemism.
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75 Moby Thesaurus words for "elective":
      academic specialty, adoptive, alternative, appointive, arbitrary,
      area, autonomous, choosing, choosy, classical education,
      constituent, core curriculum, course, course of study, curriculum,
      discipline, discretional, discretionary, discriminating,
      disjunctive, eclectic, electoral, field, free, free will,
      general education, general studies, gratuitous, humanities,
      independent, liberal arts, major, minor, nonmandatory, offered,
      optional, particular, proffered, proseminar, quadrivium,
      refresher course, scientific education, selecting, selective,
      self-acting, self-active, self-determined, self-determining,
      seminar, specialty, spontaneous, study, subdiscipline, subject,
      technical education, trivium, unasked, unbesought, unbidden,
      uncalled-for, uncoerced, uncompelled, unforced, uninfluenced,
      uninvited, unpressured, unprompted, unrequested, unrequired,
      unsolicited, unsought, volitional, voluntary, volunteer, willful