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) 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) dream team (a sports team that is considered the best)
5. (evolutionary theory) ellipsis of seleção natural (“natural selection”)