Trivia Time

What poet wrote, "Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness"?

Test Your Knowledge

eccentricity

American  

[ek-suhn-tris-i-tee, ek-sen-] / ˌɛk sənˈtrɪs ɪ ti, ˌɛk sɛn- /

noun

• eccentricities
  plural

1. an oddity or peculiarity, as of conduct.

   an interesting man, known for his eccentricities.

2. the quality of being eccentric.

   Synonyms:

   aberration, freakishness, oddness, strangeness, queerness

3. the amount by which something is eccentric.

4. Machinery. the distance between the centers of two cylindrical objects one of which surrounds the other, as between an eccentric and the shaft on which it is mounted.

5. Mathematics. a constant expressed as the ratio of the distance from a point on a conic to a focus and the distance from the point to the directrix.

---

eccentricity British  

/ ˌɛksɛnˈtrɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. unconventional or irregular behaviour

2. deviation from a circular path or orbit

3. a measure of the noncircularity of an elliptical orbit, the distance between the foci divided by the length of the major axis

4. geometry a number that expresses the shape of a conic section: the ratio of the distance of a point on the curve from a fixed point (the focus) to the distance of the point from a fixed line (the directrix)

5. the degree of displacement of the geometric centre of a rotating part from the true centre, esp of the axis of rotation of a wheel or shaft

---

eccentricity Scientific  

/ ĕk′sĕn-trĭs′ĭ-tē /

1. A measure of the deviation of an elliptical path, especially an orbit, from a perfect circle. It is equal to the ratio of the distance between the foci of the ellipse to the length of the major axis of the ellipse (the distance between the two points farthest apart on the ellipse). Eccentricity ranges from zero (for a perfect circle) to values approaching 1 (highly elongated ellipses).

2. The ratio of the distance of any point on a conic section from a focus to its distance from the corresponding directrix. This ratio is constant for any particular conic section.

---

Synonym Usage

Eccentricity, peculiarity, quirk, idiosyncrasy all refer to some noticeable deviation in behavior, style, or manner from what is normal or expected. Eccentricity usually suggests a mildly amusing but harmless characteristic or style: a whimsical eccentricity in choice of clothing. Peculiarity is the most general of these words, referring to almost any perceptible oddity or departure from any norm: the peculiarity of his eyelashes, of the weather. Quirk often refers to a minor, unimportant kind of oddity: Her one quirk was a habit of speaking to strangers in elevators. Sometimes quirk has overtones of strangeness: sexual quirks. Idiosyncrasy refers to a variation in behavior or manner exclusive to or characteristic of a single individual: idiosyncrasies of style that irritated editors but often delighted readers.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• eccentricities
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of eccentricity

First recorded in 1545–55; from Medieval Latin eccentricitās, equivalent to eccentric- ( see eccentric) + -itās -ity

---

Explanation

Eccentricity is strange, out-of-the-ordinary, sometimes weirdly attractive behavior or dress. Sleeping with your boots on is pretty normal if you're a cowboy, but leaving them on for bedtime in your city apartment, that shows some eccentricity. Eccentricity goes back to the Greek ekkentros, meaning "off center," and when you describe people as being a little "off," you might be talking about their eccentricity or behavior that's a bit abnormal. An eccentricity might be some really small character trait, like eating all of the green food on your plate first, or a large and very obvious characteristic, as when you ride a donkey to your suburban school instead of taking the bus.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eccentricity eccentricities

"By combining the model with what we see on the surface, we can make inferences about Ariel's past eccentricity and how thick the ocean might have been."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

But this is an album about celebrating eccentricity, and she has plenty of that to go around.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The British political system "fosters the eccentricity, the wonderment and the humour of politics", he added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

How much funnier Shakespeare’s motley crew can be when we’re allowed to discover the variety of eccentricity and ludicrousness on display for ourselves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Not only any actual misdemeanor, but any eccentricity, however small, any change of habits, any nervous mannerism that could possibly be the symptom of an inner struggle, is certain to be detected.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Take this spring’s Michael Jackson biopic, a film that purged Jackson of all of his eccentricities in an attempt to downplay the allegations that clouded his late career.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

"A planet caught in resonance finds its orbit deformed to higher and higher eccentricities, precessing faster and faster while staying in tune with the orbit of the binary, which is shrinking," Touma said.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 19, 2026

Besides following Canadian politics in the capital, he focuses on economic and social policy, U.S.-Canada relations and the country’s eccentricities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2025

Bird's home county Yorkshire, whom he played for and served as president, described him as a "national treasure, known not only for his umpiring excellence but also for his eccentricities and warmth".

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025

Nor, according to her, did he show any signs of the eccentricities the press kept referring to, with the exception of his speaking too loudly.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• foible
• idiosyncrasy
• peculiarity
• quirk
• weirdness

---