Other forms: electives
An elective is a course you choose freely rather than one you must take. Two electives a term, choose an elective, a free elective.
The noun is chiefly American and Australian in education; British courses more often say optional module or just option. As an adjective, elective means chosen rather than required, and it has a specific and important medical use: elective surgery is planned in advance, as against emergency surgery, and it does not mean optional in the sense of unnecessary — a planned heart operation is elective. It also means chosen by election: an elective office.
1nounelectiveA course a student chooses rather than has to take.
“She took an elective in film studies.”
synonyms: option, optional module
2adjectivesurgeryOf surgery, planned in advance rather than an emergency.
“Elective operations were cancelled for a fortnight.”
3adjectivefilledFilled by election.
“It is an elective post with a four-year term.”
elective is something chosen.
Also accepted in games: optional course
Proto-Indo-European
*leǵ-
Latin
ēlēctus
English
elect
English, today
elective
Built from
From elect + -ive. elect Borrowed from Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligō (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ē- (“out”) + legō (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend. Cognate to eclectic, which is via Ancient Greek - rather than Latin -, hence prefix ἐκ, rather than e- (from ex).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA