: relating to, being, or involving a nonemergency medical procedure and especially surgery that is planned in advance and is not essential to the survival of the patient
elective hip surgery
elective tonsillectomy
elective cosmetic procedures
(2)
: offering or specializing in nonemergency medical procedures and especially surgery
an elective surgical unit
(3)
: relating to or being a patient receiving a nonemergency medical procedure
elective orthopedic patients
3
a
: tending to operate on one substance rather than another
elective absorption
b
: favorably inclined to one more than to another : sympathetic
Adjective He's never held an elective office. Plastic surgery is elective surgery. She took three elective courses last term. Noun She's taking several electives this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Hospitals furloughed and let go of hundreds of employees during the height of the pandemic in 2020, when forced shutdowns in elective surgeries decimated hospital revenues. Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2022 According to Obeng, general risks from any elective surgeries can include infection, scarring, nerve damage, a seroma [collection of fluid] and a hematoma [collection of blood]. Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE.com, 1 Aug. 2022 Health officials say patients missing preventive care visits, general medical appointments, elective surgeries, or other care could increase the risk of an illness worsening or of death from conditions that were otherwise preventable or treatable. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 July 2022 Some hospitals halted elective surgeries during the hottest days, expecting an influx of patients. Denise Chow, NBC News, 19 July 2022 Several schools across the south of England are closed, while some hospitals have canceled routine appointments and elective surgeries due to the risks posed by high temperatures. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 18 July 2022 At the time, the firms said these changes were needed to make up for the revenue shortfalls as a result of non-COVID patients canceling elective procedures and avoiding the ER. Chris Morran, ProPublica, 8 Aug. 2022 Cummins also pays for travel for elective procedures, including reproductive health, the spokesman said. Emily Glazer, WSJ, 6 Aug. 2022 For example, while the health care sector is generally a safe harbor during recessionary storms, elective cosmetic surgery providers aren't immune to recession as clients might decide to postpone procedures and other services.CNN, 29 July 2022
Noun
The seven-credit-hour commercial truck driving course will meet all requirements for certification as a commercial truck driver and be accepted as an elective in the Technical Certificate in General Business, according to the ASU System. Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2022 While European history is reserved for a senior elective, all the grades concentrate on the rights of women and LGBTQ people. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 31 May 2022 Many times, these programs are short-term coding camps or a single semester of computer science as an elective. Rod Berger, Forbes, 26 May 2022 Though some choose extra academic time, most move to an elective. Steve Sadin, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2022 The class, an elective, was open to any undergraduate student at NYU. Joseph Pisani, WSJ, 15 Mar. 2022 Only one out of four California high school students attends a school that offers personal finance as an elective, according to the nonprofit. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2022 At the time, an elective that Mercy taught was being taken away. Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 17 Dec. 2021 Right now, the course is offered as an elective, but will be a graduation requirement for the class of 2026 at those schools and is expanding to 13 more schools next semester.jsonline.com, 11 Nov. 2021 See More