Meanings
comparative more eclectic · superlative most eclectic · alternative eclectick
- Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.
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 20251 more example
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 - 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 1532 more examples
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 140The 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 2023Synonyms: heterogeneous
plural eclectics · alternative eclectick
- Someone who selects according to the eclectic method.
Neo-Pagans are eclectics, often borrowing from a variety of cultural traditions as they try to shape their religious organizations and practices to meet group and individual needs.
1986 December 14, Mary Morrisey, “Roll Over, Jehovah — And Tell St. Nick the News”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 22, page 5
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveUnrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous.
antonym(s) of
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveselecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐκλεκτικός“selective”
- Frenchéclectique
- Englisheclectic
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.
More words from French, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian еклекти́чен, разнообра́зен
- еклекти́чен (eklektíčen)selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- разнообра́зен (raznoobrázen)unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- разноро́ден (raznoróden)unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- разнови́ден (raznovíden)unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- еклекти́к (eklektík)one who selects by the eclectic method
Catalan eclèctic, eclèctic
- eclècticselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- eclècticunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
Czech eklektický, eklektický
- eklektickýselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- eklektickýunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- eklektikone who selects by the eclectic method
Danish eklektisk, eklektiker
- eklektiskselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- eklektikerone who selects by the eclectic method
Dutch eclectisch, uiteenlopend
- eclectischselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- uiteenlopendunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- eclecticusone who selects by the eclectic method
Finnish eklektinen, valikoiva
- eklektinenselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- valikoivaselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- monenkirjavaunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- monivivahteinenunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- eklektinenunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- eklektikkoone who selects by the eclectic method
French éclectique, hétérogène
- éclectiqueselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- hétérogèneunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- hétéroclite disparateunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- de bric et de brocunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
German eklektisch, vielseitig
- eklektischselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- vielseitigselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- heterogenunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- verschiedenartigunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- Eklektikerone who selects by the eclectic method
Greek εκλεκτικός
- εκλεκτικός (eklektikós)selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
Hungarian eklektikus
- eklektikusselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
Icelandic sem velur úr það besta
- sem velur úr það bestaselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
Italian eclettico, eclettico
- ecletticoselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- ecletticounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- disparatounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- heterocliticounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- eterogeneounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- poliedricounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- versatileunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- ecletticoone who selects by the eclectic method
Latin eclecticus, eclecticus
- eclecticusselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- eclecticusunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
Norwegian blanding
- blandingunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
Norwegian Bokmål eklektisk
- eklektiskselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
Polish eklektyczny
- eklektycznyselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
Portuguese eclético, eclético
- ecléticoselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- ecléticounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- ecléticoone who selects by the eclectic method
Romanian eclectic, eterogen
- eclecticselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- eterogenunrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- eclecticone who selects by the eclectic method
Russian эклектичный, разнородный
- эклектичный (eklektičnyj)selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- разнородный (raznorodnyj)unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- экле́ктик (ekléktik)one who selects by the eclectic method
Spanish ecléctico, heterogéneo
- eclécticoselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- heterogéneounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- heteróclitounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- disparatadounrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
- eclécticoone who selects by the eclectic method
Swedish eklektisk, eklektiker
- eklektiskselecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles
- eklektikerone who selects by the eclectic method
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with eclectic
Cite this entry
eclectic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclectic
“eclectic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclectic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eclectic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclectic.
Source: eclectic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.