seleccionar
verbCEFR B2
What does “seleccionar” mean in English?
to select, to choose
to select, to choose (seleccionar criterios / indicadores — deliberate choice of which factors to apply in an evaluation or methodology, implying a reasoned basis for inclusion or exclusion)
Example sentences
Al seleccionar los criterios de evaluación, hay que justificar por qué unos factores pesan más que otros.
When selecting the evaluation criteria, one must justify why some factors carry more weight than others.
Seleccionar únicamente los estudios que confirman la hipótesis equivale a sesgar el análisis desde el principio.
Selecting only the studies that confirm the hypothesis is equivalent to biasing the analysis from the outset.
How to use it
Seleccionar means 'to select', 'to choose (with criteria)'. It is more formal and deliberate than 'elegir' (to choose) and implies that explicit criteria govern the selection. In debate and analysis, 'seleccionar los criterios de evaluación' or 'seleccionar los argumentos más relevantes' signals a methodologically conscious move. The frame is 'seleccionar + noun' (seleccionar los criterios, los casos, los datos). It collocates naturally with 'con cuidado', 'cuidadosamente', 'en función de + criterion'. In meta-argumentative use, a speaker may challenge an opponent for having selectively chosen data: 'seleccionar solo los datos favorables'.
Common mistake
Seleccionar (criteria-driven, deliberate) vs elegir (choose, more general). Don't use 'escoger' in formal academic contexts — seleccionar is the register-appropriate verb when methodological rigour is implied. The meta-critical use 'seleccionar solo los datos favorables' maps to 'cherry-picking' in English; knowing this frame is essential for B2 debate critique.