eccentric

1 of 2

adjective

ec·​cen·​tric ik-ˈsen-trik How to pronounce eccentric (audio)
ek-
1
a
: deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways
an eccentric millionaire
b
: deviating from an established or usual pattern or style
eccentric products
2
a
: deviating from a circular path
especially : elliptical sense 1
an eccentric orbit
b
: located elsewhere than at the geometric center
also : having the axis or support so located
an eccentric wheel
eccentrically adverb

eccentric

2 of 2

noun

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.

Choose the Right Synonym for eccentric

strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected.

strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's First Lady

eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Former Egyptian deities now surviving as eccentric jazz musicians are recruited by the king of the gods to solve a kidnapping. John Hopewell, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023 Tears typically occur when the tendon stretches while also contracting, referred to an eccentric contraction, Spencer Stein, MD, a sports orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone Health, told Verywell. Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 19 Sep. 2023 But the movie is really just a romp for the eccentric, extraordinary Rutherford. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023 And each narrative in Columbus must include a chapter about how close the Buckeyes are to winning it all, which is how fans arrive at some ... eccentric conclusions. Jimmy Watkins, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023 The power of movies to reveal, arouse and mystify is also very much on Oren’s mind, specifically the eccentric, transformative discipline of Foley artists: sound technicians who bend everyday objects into a new aural reality. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023 Tuesday saw the release of Elon Musk, author Walter Isaacson’s mammoth new biography of the controversial tech mogul, and hardly a chapter of the nearly 700-page book goes by without a weird anecdote about the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s eccentric, sometimes self-destructive behavior. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2023 And for good reason, this carpet has been the home of so many insanely eccentric looks over the years. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 13 Sep. 2023 It’s called Vacationland for its mountains, lakes, and wild, rocky Atlantic shores, but Maine has a lively, eccentric art scene and wonderful museums. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 9 Sep. 2023
Noun
And home to more Nobel laureates and billionaires and sheer geniuses — and any number of eccentrics, which may be a substantial overlap — in any kind of undertaking than any other state. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023 Elsewhere, everything in between: artists, eccentrics, families. Jonathan Lethem, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023 Even among the thin ranks of eccentrics who practice eremitism, Zdarsky was going to do things his way, too. Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2023 Those who read his obituaries were reminded that Rabanne was a true eccentric, his interests spanning far beyond fashion to architecture, music, Dadaism, magic and astrology. Jessica Iredale, Town & Country, 5 July 2023 Emphasize the eccentric by taking four to six seconds reach the bottom point next to your head. Men's Health, 19 July 2023 Others might feel the need to rein themselves in and play the straight woman to anchor a cast of eccentrics. Alison Herman, Variety, 17 May 2023 Any lack of logic seems appropriate in honoring Ohr, a true eccentric who dubbed himself the Mad Potter of Biloxi and was known for his delightfully misshapen, brightly colored pottery. Nicholas Derenzo, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2023 Today, there are few traces of the artists and eccentrics who once stalked the Chelsea’s halls. Penelope Green, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eccentric.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin ecentricus, excentricus "not concentric with another circle, (of a planetary orbit in Ptolemaic astronomy) not having the earth exactly at its center," from Late Latin eccentros, eccentrus "not having the earth at its center" (borrowed from Greek ékkentros, from ek- ec- + -kentros, adjective derivative of kéntron "sting, goad, point, stationary point of a pair of compasses, midpoint of a circle or sphere") + Latin -icus -ic entry 1 — more at center entry 1

Noun

Middle English excentryke "planetary orbit of which the earth is not the center," borrowed from Medieval Latin excentricus, noun derivative of ecentricus, excentricus "(of a planetary orbit in Ptolemaic astronomy) not having the earth exactly at its center" — more at eccentric entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of eccentric was circa 1630

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Dictionary Entries Near eccentric

Cite this Entry

“Eccentric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eccentric. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

eccentric

1 of 2 adjective
ec·​cen·​tric ik-ˈsen-trik How to pronounce eccentric (audio)
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
eccentrically adverb

eccentric

2 of 2 noun
: a strange or eccentric person

Medical Definition

eccentric

1 of 2 adjective
ec·​cen·​tric ik-ˈsen-trik, ek- How to pronounce eccentric (audio)
: deviating from an established pattern or from accepted usage or conduct
eccentrically adverb

eccentric

2 of 2 noun
: an eccentric individual

More from Merriam-Webster on eccentric

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