eccentric

American  

[ik-sen-trik, ek-] / ɪkˈsɛn trɪk, ɛk- /

especially British, excentric

adjective

1. deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice, etc.; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd.

   eccentric conduct;

   an eccentric person.

   Synonyms:

   bizarre, weird, strange

   Antonyms:

   conventional, customary, ordinary, regular, normal

2. Geometry. not having the same center; not concentric: used especially of two circles or spheres at least one of which contains the centers of both.

3. (of an axis, axle, etc.) not situated in the center.

4. Machinery. having the axis or support away from the center.

   an eccentric wheel.

5. Astronomy. deviating from a circular form, as an elliptic orbit.

---

noun

1. a person who has an unusual, peculiar, or odd personality, set of beliefs, or behavior pattern.

2. something that is unusual, peculiar, or odd.

3. Machinery. a device for converting circular motion into rectilinear motion, consisting of a disk fixed somewhat off-center to a revolving shaft, and working freely in a surrounding collar eccentricstrap, to which a rod eccentricrod is attached.

eccentric British  

/ ɪkˈsɛntrɪk /

adjective

1. deviating or departing from convention, esp in a bizarre manner; irregular or odd

2. situated away from the centre or the axis

3. not having a common centre Compare concentric

   eccentric circles

4. not precisely circular

---

noun

1. a person who deviates from normal forms of behaviour, esp in a bizarre manner

2. a device for converting rotary motion to reciprocating motion

Other Word Forms

• eccentrical adjective
• eccentrically adverb
• noneccentric adjective
• noneccentrically adverb
• uneccentric adjective
• uneccentrically adverb

Etymology

Origin of eccentric

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Greek ékkentr(os) “out of center” ( ec-, center ) + Latin -icus -ic

Explanation

You're most likely to encounter the adjective eccentric in a description of an unusual or quirky person — like a scatterbrained aunt who leaves her life savings to her cat. From the Greek ekkentros, "out of the center," this word originally had to do with the orbits of planets that were observed to be slightly out of whack. Eventually it came to describe people who were a little kooky, both as an adjective and as a noun, too: an eccentric is an unconventional, odd person. Think of them as following a slightly different orbit from the rest of society.

Example Sentences

A new cast of Castros is emerging in Cuba: a grandson and a great-nephew are moving up the corridors of power, while another is an eccentric Instagram influencer declaring that Cubans want capitalism.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Months earlier, he had reunited with one of the policemen in the video, Stoll Watt, to announce an upcoming documentary into his obscure and eccentric life.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Behind the camera, Jacobs’ friend and occasional creative collaborator, Sofia Coppola, asks whether they’re favoring a serious look, or something more eccentric — in line with Jacobs’ reputation.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

The “Satyagraha” and “Akhnaten” revivals have been the designed-to-dazzle inventions of quirky director Phelim McDermott, a co-founder of Impossible, an eccentric British theater company.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Laucks was inarguably one of the most eccentric people in the New York chess community, with conflicting values and erratic behavior.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• bizarre
• curious
• erratic
• funny
• idiosyncratic
• kooky
• nutty
• odd
• offbeat
• outlandish
• peculiar
• quirky
• strange
• unconventional
• weird
• whimsical