eclectic
Americanadjective
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selecting or choosing from various sources.
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made up of what is selected from different sources.
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not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.
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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
adjective
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(in art, philosophy, etc) selecting what seems best from various styles, doctrines, ideas, methods, etc
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composed of elements drawn from a variety of sources, styles, etc
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of eclectic
First recorded in 1675–85; from Greek eklektikós “selective,” from eklekt(ós) “chosen, selected” (past participle of eklég(ein) “to pick out, choose,” from ek- ec- ( def. ) + légein “to pick up, gather, count, speak”; cf. dialect ( def. )) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
She listens to hip-hop, Gregorian chant, and folk music from the '60s. He's been seen wearing a handmade tuxedo jacket over a thrift-store flannel shirt. They both have eclectic tastes. The English word eclectic first appeared in the seventeenth century to describe philosophers who did not belong to a particular school of thought, but instead assembled their doctrines by picking and choosing from a variety of philosophical systems. Today, the word can refer to any assemblage of varied parts. You can have an eclectic group of friends (friends from diverse groups), eclectic taste in furniture (a mixture of 18th-century French chairs, Andy Warhol paintings, and Persian rugs), or enjoy eclectic cuisine (fusion cooking that uses ingredients from different national cuisines).
Vocabulary lists containing eclectic
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For decades, the neighborhood had an eclectic mix of residents, including a radio announcer who built mazes for children using wooden pallets and a man who started a public market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
Ukrainian artwork and drone carcasses provide an eclectic decor to the interior of Brovdi's underground bunker, from where he commands a unified force of some of Ukraine's highest-ranking drone units.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
Her pig roast is also part salmon bake and part old-school cookout, a beautiful gathering of nations grooving to an eclectic vibe I’ve tried to replicate here.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
It was an eclectic crowd, from tattoo artists to punk rockers to parents with their teen children.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
I learned an eclectic smattering of Commonwealth law from a traveling barrister too drunk or too pompous to realize he was lecturing an eight-year-old.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
