seleção

• seleçaõ (obsolete, used up to the 19th century)
• selecçaõ (obsolete, used up to the 19th century)
• selecção (pre-1990 spelling)

Learned borrowing from Latin sēlēctiōnem (“selection”), from sēlēctus (“selected”), past participle of sēligō (“to select; to cull”).

The sense “national team” is from the idea that a national team is formed by a selection of a country’s best sportsmen.

• Hyphenation: se‧le‧ção

seleção f (plural seleções)

1. selection (the process or act of selecting)

   Synonym: escolha

   A seleção de animais para o abate.

   The selection of animals for slaughter.

2. selection (the elements which are chosen in a selection)

   Vou ler uma seleção de livros.

   I will read a selection of books.

3. (sports) a sports team that represents a region or organisation, such as a national sports team

   A seleção italiana de futebol venceu o torneio quatro vezes.

   The Italian national football team won tournament four times.

4. (sports, colloquial, by extension) a sports team that is considered the best; dream team
5. (evolutionary theory) a process by which certain beings are excluded from the chance of passing their genes to future generations

   A seleção natural garantiu a sobrevivência dos homens.

   Natural selection guaranteed man’s survival.