Words / E / Medicine

elective

adjective/ɪˈlektɪv/

B2CEFR level
40/100Rarity: uncommon
TechnicalRegister

Describing a procedure that is chosen and planned in advance rather than performed as an emergency.

As this is elective surgery, there is no rush and you can consider your options.

Similar: optional, planned

Topic: Consent & explaining in Medical English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More medicine words: Consent & explaining