Eclectic Has a Philosophical History

Eclectic comes from the Greek eklektikos (meaning "selective"), from the verb eklegein, "to select." Eclectic was originally applied to ancient philosophers who were not committed to any single system of philosophy but instead selected whichever doctrines pleased them from every school of thought. Later, the word's use broadened to cover other selective natures. "Hard by, the central slab is thick with books / Diverse, but which the true eclectic mind / Knows how to group, and gather out of each / Their frequent wisdoms...." In this 19th century example from a poem by Arthur Joseph Munby, for example, the word is applied to literature lovers who cull selective works from libraries.

Examples of eclectic in a Sentence

Adjective All around us, fishers galumphed past. … They carried an eclectic array of rods, nets, buckets and coolers. — Stephen C. Sautner, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2000 Her witty, mordant and splendidly vinegary observations were informed by broad and eclectic reading. — George F. Will, Newsweek, 24 May 1999 The polo crowd is eclectic and dangerously hagridden with narcissism and treachery, and that is the way they like it. — Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 1994 … big wheels of country bread and eclectic selections of pâtés, hams, cheeses, honey and all sorts of homemade cookies and sweets. — Per-Henrik Mansson, Wine Spectator, 28 Feb. 1993 The collection includes an eclectic mix of historical artifacts. the museum's eclectic collection has everything from a giraffe skeleton to medieval musical instruments See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The PDX Urban Wine Experience features 13 urban wineries pouring 38 wines made with an eclectic mix of grapes from all over Oregon and parts of Washington. — Michael Alberty | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 4 May 2022 Fellingham has gathered an eclectic mix of fashion visionaries from Kentucky for a high-energy show set to strut down an elevated runway at Fourth Street Live, the Courier Journal previously reported. — Jason Gonzalez, The Courier-Journal, 2 May 2022 Players were drawn to its eclectic mix of heroes, which represented a wide range of backgrounds and play styles. — Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2022 The eclectic mix of guns and launchers could pose a logistical challenge. — David Axe, Forbes, 27 Apr. 2022 Watts went for a more eclectic style this time, pairing the dress with a white jacket and bold black frames. — Breanna Bell, PEOPLE.com, 20 Apr. 2022 For those with more eclectic tastes, one of the most interesting Las Vegas attractions is Area 15, an upscale warehouse full of immersive entertainment a five-minute Uber ride from most Strip hotels. — Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 14 Apr. 2022 The academy’s decidedly non-mainstream choices reflected the eclectic tastes of a changing voting body. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2022 Don’t forget some of the more eclectic cameos in Simpsons history, either. — Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Central Lodi has blocks filled with bike shops and clothing stores, wine bars and beer joints, white-linen dining and ethnic eclectics. — Ken Van Vechten, latimes.com, 21 Dec. 2017 By allying himself with the eclectics, Lloyd was ostracized by regular pharmacists. — Jeff Suess, Cincinnati.com, 27 Oct. 2017 Borrow Vintage + Eclectic, which rents and retails furniture, home accessories by local designers, is hosting a designer's showcase and open house from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. — Nikki Delamotte, cleveland.com, 21 July 2017 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eclectic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for eclectic

Adjective

borrowed from Greek eklektikós "picking out, selecting what appears to be best," from eklektós "picked out, select" (verbal adjective of eklégein "to pick out, select," from ek- ec- + légein "to collect, gather, count, say") + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at legend

Noun

borrowed from Greek eklektikós "any of a group of philosophers who selected beliefs from a variety of schools of thought," noun derivative of eklektikós eclectic entry 1

Learn More About eclectic