eclectic

[ ih-klek-tik ]

/ ɪˈklɛk tɪk /

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See synonyms for eclectic on Thesaurus.com

adjective

selecting or choosing from various sources.

made up of what is selected from different sources.

not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.

noting or pertaining to works of architecture, decoration, landscaping, etc., produced by a certain person or during a certain period, that derive from a wide range of historic styles, the style in each instance often being chosen for its fancied appropriateness to local tradition, local geography, the purpose to be served, or the cultural background of the client.

noun

Also ec·lec·ti·cist

[ih-klek-tuh-sist]. /ɪˈklɛk tə sɪst/. a person who follows an eclectic method, as in philosophy or architecture.

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Origin of eclectic

1675–85; <Greek eklektikós selective, equivalent to eklekt(ós) chosen, select (eklég(ein) to pick out + -tos past participle suffix; see ec-) + -ikos-ic

OTHER WORDS FROM eclectic

ec·lec·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·ec·lec·tic, adjective, nounnon·ec·lec·ti·cal·ly, adverbun·ec·lec·tic, adjective

un·ec·lec·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use eclectic in a sentence

It’s a delightfully eclectic mix — though there could have been more of those games if Shaq had just hit more of his free throws.
One Wild Week Of The NBA Offseason|Sarah Shachat|November 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
From Thursdays to Saturdays for the foreseeable, less-quarantined future, the suburban club will bring its stage outdoors, with an eclectic mix of local musicians performing on the patio.
The best things to do — virtually and in person — while quarantined in the D.C. area|Going Out Guide Staff|October 29, 2020|Washington Post
As the election season reigns supreme, the eclectic merchandise that usually comes during this political cycle has made its way into many households.
Michelle Obama’s Stylist Meredith Koop And Sarween Salih Co-Curate Second When We All Vote Collection|cmurray|October 1, 2020|Essence.com
If you’ve been in that neighborhood long enough, you can’t deny that it’s much safer and much more eclectic than it once was.
The Stages of Gentrification, as Told by Restaurant Openings|Vince Dixon|September 30, 2020|Eater

In addition to a number of eclectic shops, restaurants, and entertainment options, South End also offers a number of unique events, including Pride Lights.
Boston: A Historic City and a Trailblazer for Equality|LGBTQ-Editor|August 2, 2020|No Straight News
Monday, following the first Schiaparelli couture show since 1954, where eclectically clad women walked in flat feathered sandals.
Schiaparelli Returns to Couture at Paris Fashion Week|Liza Foreman|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The more eclectically cultured turned to the newspapers to see what the art critics would say of this—how they would label it.
The "Genius"|Theodore Dreiser
The remainder are eclectically chosen auxiliaries whose signification may be readily discerned.
The Dynasts|Thomas Hardy
In the various old and new hylozoistic tendencies, the concepts of force and its correlate, mass, are eclectically united.
International Congress of Arts and Science, Volume I|Various
His theory of knowledge he had derived eclectically and somewhat eccentrically, from Lotze and Kant.
Edward Caldwell Moore|Edward Moore
In all these things Bulwer was essentially the product and the mirror of the new and eclectically educated Victorian age.
Social Transformations of the Victorian Age|T. H. S. (Thomas Hay Sweet) Escott

British Dictionary definitions for eclectic

eclectic

/ (ɪˈklɛktɪk, ɛˈklɛk-) /

adjective

(in art, philosophy, etc) selecting what seems best from various styles, doctrines, ideas, methods, etc

composed of elements drawn from a variety of sources, styles, etc

noun

a person who favours an eclectic approach, esp in art or philosophy

Derived forms of eclectic

eclectically, adverb

Word Origin for eclectic

C17: from Greek eklektikos, from eklegein to select, from legein to gather

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

eclectic

Origin of eclectic

OTHER WORDS FROM eclectic

Words related to eclectic

How to use eclectic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for eclectic

Derived forms of eclectic

Word Origin for eclectic