Meanings
plural eclecticisms
- countableuncountableThe quality of being eclectic.
In those days she had admired his pluralistic openness of mind, and struggled, in her kitchen, towards a parallel eclecticism, learning to cook the dosas and uttapams of South India as well as the soft meatballs of Kashmir.
1988, Salman Rushdie, chapter V, in The Satanic Verses, page 2551 more example
I am concerned that this encouraging but brief period of success will foster the opinion, already widely held, that the monetary pillar is superfluous, and lead monetary policy analysis back to the kind of muddled eclecticism that brought us the 1970s inflation.
2006, Robert E. Lucas, in: Panel Discussion: Central Banking: Is Science Replacing Art?, in: European Central Bank (ed.), Monetary Policy: A Journey from Theory to Practice: An ECB Colloquium Held in Honour of Otmar Issing, March 16-17 2006, p. 168- countableuncountableartAny form of art that borrows from multiple other styles.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounmaking decisions on the basis of what seems best instead of following some single doctrine or style
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Catalan eclecticisme, eclecticisme
- eclecticismephilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- eclecticismeform of art based on multiple styles
- eclecticismethe quality of being eclectic
Chinese Mandarin 折中主義 /折中主义
- 折中主義 /折中主义 (zhézhōng zhǔyì)form of art based on multiple styles
Czech eklekticismus, eklektismus
- eklekticismusphilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- eklektismusphilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- eklekticismusform of art based on multiple styles
- eklektismusform of art based on multiple styles
Dutch eclectisch
- eclectischthe quality of being eclectic
Finnish eklektismi, eklektismi
- eklektismiphilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- eklektismiform of art based on multiple styles
- eklektisyysthe quality of being eclectic
French éclectisme, éclectisme
- éclectismephilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- éclectismeform of art based on multiple styles
- éclectismethe quality of being eclectic
German Eklektizismus
- Eklektizismusform of art based on multiple styles
Polish eklektyzm, eklektyzm
- eklektyzmphilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- eklektyzmform of art based on multiple styles
- eklektyzmthe quality of being eclectic
Portuguese ecletismo, ecletismo
- ecletismophilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- ecletismoform of art based on multiple styles
- ecletismothe quality of being eclectic
Spanish eclecticismo, eclecticismo
- eclecticismophilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- eclecticismoform of art based on multiple styles
- eclecticismothe quality of being eclectic
Swedish eklekticism, eklekticism
- eklekticismphilosophical approach that draws on multiple theories
- eklekticismform of art based on multiple styles
Cite this entry
eclecticism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclecticism
“eclecticism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclecticism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eclecticism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclecticism.
Source: eclecticism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.