ec·cen·tric
ik-ˈsen-trik 
ek-
1
: departing from what is usual, conventional, etc.:
a
: having or showing an odd or whimsical way of thinking
an eccentric billionaire
eccentric ideas/behavior
his eccentric style of dress
b
: not following an established or usual pattern or style
… book publishing's eccentric distribution system …—
John Mutter
John MutterNew Zealand is famously home to eccentric forms of wildlife that look like pets for a Hobbit.—Natalie Angier
Natalie Angier2
a
: not following a perfectly circular path
b
: located internally somewhere other than at the geometric center
also
: having an axis or support in such a location
an eccentric wheel
1
: a person who behaves in odd or unusual ways : an eccentric person
2
: a mechanical device consisting of an eccentric (see eccentric entry 1 sense 2b) disk communicating its motion to a rod so as to produce reciprocating motion
Did you know?
Eccentric was originally a technical term at home in the fields of geometry and astronomy. It comes from a Latin word meaning “not having the earth at its center,” and ultimately has its root in a Greek word with various meanings including “stationary point of a pair of compasses” and “midpoint of a circle or sphere.” But its figurative use is long-established too: as far back as the 17th century the word was used to describe people and things that deviate from what is conventional, usual, or accepted.
Synonyms of eccentric
Examples of eccentric in a Sentence
Adjective
It was Charles Darwin's eccentric mathematician cousin Francis Galton who in 1874 ignited the nature-nurture controversy. …
—Matt Ridley, Time, 2 June 2003
Eccentric drifters that normally roam the farthest reaches of the solar system, these daredevils fly so close to the Sun that they pass through its scorching corona.
—Maggie McKee, Astronomy, December 2002
In the spit-and-polish Navy, he and his equally unkempt colleagues were regarded as eccentric.
—David M. Kennedy, Atlantic, March 1999
He was a kind but eccentric man.
She's become more eccentric over the years.
Noun
It wasn't until she [Mother Teresa] had set up a leprosarium outside Calcutta on land provided by the government that I began to see her as an idealist rather than an eccentric.
—Bharati Mukherjee, Time, 14 June 1999
To his own townspeople Thoreau was a radical and an eccentric, a man without a vocation, supporting himself doing odd jobs, devoting himself to what seemed to them inconsequential rambles, and living like a hermit on the shores of Walden Pond.
—Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987
But Mozart was also an eccentric, brought up not as a creature of society but as a prodigious child speaking a language of sound. Mozart couldn't "handle people," as one former friend put it.
—Edward Rothstein, New York Times Book Review, 31 Oct. 1982
an eccentric who designed his house to look like a Scottish castle
Matt Ridley, Time, 2 June 2003
Eccentric drifters that normally roam the farthest reaches of the solar system, these daredevils fly so close to the Sun that they pass through its scorching corona.
—Maggie McKee, Astronomy, December 2002
In the spit-and-polish Navy, he and his equally unkempt colleagues were regarded as eccentric.
—David M. Kennedy, Atlantic, March 1999
He was a kind but eccentric man.
She's become more eccentric over the years.
Noun
It wasn't until she [Mother Teresa] had set up a leprosarium outside Calcutta on land provided by the government that I began to see her as an idealist rather than an eccentric.
—Bharati Mukherjee, Time, 14 June 1999
To his own townspeople Thoreau was a radical and an eccentric, a man without a vocation, supporting himself doing odd jobs, devoting himself to what seemed to them inconsequential rambles, and living like a hermit on the shores of Walden Pond.
—Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987
But Mozart was also an eccentric, brought up not as a creature of society but as a prodigious child speaking a language of sound. Mozart couldn't "handle people," as one former friend put it.
—Edward Rothstein, New York Times Book Review, 31 Oct. 1982
an eccentric who designed his house to look like a Scottish castle
Recent Examples on the Web
Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
Heagerty will play Seph Marigold, Courteney’s eccentric and proud longtime stalker who just might turn out to also be her hero.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
For Mimi Pond, the desire to do a book about the Mitford sisters – six larger-than-life British eccentrics (and one brother) who created a stir in both British and American culture – was obvious.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eccentric
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Adjective
One man who became obsessed with Garfield after his 1880 speech was the eccentric Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen), and the series follows his attempts to get a job in the administration.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
Heagerty will play Seph Marigold, Courteney’s eccentric and proud longtime stalker who just might turn out to also be her hero.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
Appealing to consumers searching for a piece of history, the store has gained a following of visitors hunting for unique souvenirs, designers on inspiration trips and local eccentrics.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
For Mimi Pond, the desire to do a book about the Mitford sisters – six larger-than-life British eccentrics (and one brother) who created a stir in both British and American culture – was obvious.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eccentric
Cite this Entry
“Eccentric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eccentric. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
eccentric
1 of 2 adjective
ec·cen·tric
ik-ˈsen-trik
ek-
1
a
: acting or thinking in an unusual way
b
: not of the usual or normal kind
2
: not following a truly circular path
an eccentric orbit
eccentric
2 of 2 noun
: a strange or eccentric person
Medical Definition
eccentric
1 of 2 adjective
ec·cen·tric
ik-ˈsen-trik, ek-
: deviating from an established pattern or from accepted usage or conduct
eccentric
2 of 2 noun
: an eccentric individual
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