eclectic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From French éclectique, from Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikós, “selective”), from ἐκλέγω (eklégō, “to pick, choose”), from ἐκ (ek, “out, from”) + λέγω (légō, “to choose, count”). Cognate to elect.
Meanings
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Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.
Chunder Sen and the Progressive Brahmists broke entirely with Hinduism...and he selected from the scriptures of all creeds what seemed best in them for instruction and for worship. […] It is an eclectic religion: it seeks to select what is good from all religions, and it has become the latest evidence that no eclectic religion can ever influence large numbers of men.
1893, John Robson, Hinduism and its Relations to Christianity, pages 211, 214:Though rooted in jazz, Byron's music is stylistically eclectic.
2017 August 2, Seth Rogovoy, Don Byron and Friends to Explore Early Soul Music at Helsinki Hudson, archived from the original on 18 May 2025:
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Unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous.
Colvin said Obama has an eclectic taste in music, listening to everything from Indonesian flute music to OutKast to Motown.
2006, W. Frederick Zimmerman, Should Barack Obama Be President?, page 153:The Austrians concentrated their entire armored formation into the 1st Division; the 2nd Division consisted solely of the wooden ship of the line Kaiser, looking incredibly out of place in a battle of ironclads, along with five frigates; and the 3rd Division had an eclectic collection of smaller gunboats and armed merchantmen.
2018 September 26, Drachinifel, 2:30 from the start, in The Battle of Lissa - Special, archived from the original on 09 Aug 2023:All members of the Hominoidea, apes and man, show an eclectic taste in food but select, from a wide range of possibilities, only a few to provide the bulk of their diet.
1983, Peter J. Wilson, Man, the Promising Primate: The Conditions of Human Evolution, page 140:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| eclectick | alternative | lexicographic | |
| most eclectic | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more eclectic | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
standard · exclusive (antonym(s) of) · orthodox · homogeneous · uniform
Deriveds
eclectically · eclecticism · eclecticist · uneclectic · eclectic medicine · noneclectic · eclecticize · eclection
Relateds
heteroclite · cherry pick · holistic
Synonyms
heterogeneous (unrelated and unspecialized)
Translations (55)
mk еклектичен (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · fi valikoiva (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · de eklektisch (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · fi monivivahteinen (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · fr hétéroclite disparate (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · ro eclectic (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · hu eklektikus (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · ro eterogen (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · pl eklektyczny (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · it eclettico (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · nb eklektisk (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · ca eclèctic (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · es heterogéneo (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · ca eclèctic (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · fi eklektinen (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · it disparato (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · pt eclético (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · is sem velur úr það besta (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · fr de bric et de broc (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · de verschiedenartig (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · de heterogen (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · fi eklektinen (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · it eterogeneo (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · la eclecticus (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · cs eklektický (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · ru разнородный (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · cs eklektický (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · fr hétérogène (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · es heteróclito (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · nl eclectisch (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · it versatile (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · it poliedrico (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · nn eklektisk (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · de vielseitig (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · it eclettico (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · gv femblagh (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · gv femblagh (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · sv eklektisk (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · la eclecticus (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · bg разнови́ден (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · no blanding (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · fi monenkirjava (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · it heteroclitico (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · pt eclético (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · nl uiteenlopend (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · mk разновиден (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · ru эклектичный (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · el εκλεκτικός (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · bg разноро́ден (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · da eklektisk (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · fr éclectique (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · es disparatado (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · bg разнообра́зен (unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous) · bg еклекти́чен (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles) · es ecléctico (selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles)