1. (a.) Exerting the power of choice; selecting; as, an elective act.

2. (a.) Pertaining to, or consisting in, choice, or right of choosing; electoral.

3. (a.) Dependent on choice; bestowed or passing by election; as, an elective study; an elective office.

4. (n.) In an American college, an optional study or course of study.

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