What does "selma" mean?
A confrontation where authorities brutally repress those wanting civil rights, similar to Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama.
Selma
/ˈsɛlmə/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A confrontation where authorities brutally repress those wanting civil rights, similar to Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama.
- Grammar: selma is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: city, first name, forename, geographic name.
- Useful contrasts: countryside, family name, outback.
- Usage evidence: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes, we can.
How to use "selma"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "selma" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "selma" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "selma" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "selma" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "selma" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "city" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "selma", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A confrontation where authorities brutally repress those wanting civil rights, similar to Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. US, figuratively
"Eventually, our place and response may be viewed as a historic turning point, another Selma for the nation and world."
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name. countable
- 2 A surname. countable
- 3 A placename; A community in Nova Scotia, Canada. countable, uncountable
- 4 A placename; A village in Graubünden canton, Switzerland. countable, uncountable
- 5 A placename; A place in the United States.; A city, the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama; named for James Macpherson's Ossianic poem The Songs of Selma. countable, uncountable
"So when King – who had been in Atlanta for “Bloody Sunday” – telegrammed Parks about returning to Alabama to take part in a third mass march from Selma to Montgomery, her immediate answer was “Why, of course.”"
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 A placename; A place in the United States.; A city in Fresno County, California; named for early resident Selma Michelson. countable, uncountable
- 7 A placename; A place in the United States.; A city in Texas. countable, uncountable
- 8 A placename; A place in the United States.; A town in North Carolina; named for the city in Alabama. countable, uncountable
- 9 A placename; A place in the United States.; A town in Indiana. countable, uncountable
- 10 A placename; A place in the United States.; A census-designated place in Josephine County, Oregon. countable, uncountable
- 11 A placename; A place in the United States.; A census-designated place in Virginia. countable, uncountable
- 12 A placename; A place in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Arkansas. countable, uncountable
- 13 A placename; A place in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Iowa. countable, uncountable
- 14 A placename; A place in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Kansas. countable, uncountable
- 15 A placename; A place in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Missouri; named for the place in the Ossian cycle. countable, uncountable
- 16 A placename; A place in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Ohio. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes, we can."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "selma"?
Common synonyms include: city, first name, forename, geographic name, given name, municipality.
How do you use "selma" in a sentence?
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes, we can.
How do you pronounce "selma"?
Pronounced /ˈsɛlmə/.
Etymology
Taken to use in the 19th century when similar-sounding names, Elma, Thelma, Alma, Wilma, etc. were in vogue. Perhaps a shortening of Anselma, or from the name of a place in the James Macpherson's Ossian cycle of epic poems, itself from Scottish Gaelic sealladh + math (“good vision”). In some cases perhaps borrowed from Turkish Selma, from Arabic سَلْمَى (salmā).