- Formation
- Borrowing
- Borrowed from
- Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk/, /ɪˈklɛk.tɪk/[1]
Etymology
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikós, “selective”),[2][3][4][5][6] perhaps through French éclectique,[3][4] from eklektós “selected”,[2][3][4][6] from eklégein “to pick out”,[2][3][4][5] from ek- “out” and légein “to gather, choose”.[2][3][4][5]
Earliest recorded meaning
Describing ancient philosophers who belonged to no one school but selected doctrines from every system (1683).[7][3][4][5]
Semantic evolution
The broader sense of selecting from various sources appeared in 1814,[3][7] and that of being borrowed from diverse sources by 1847.[4][7] The noun, an adherent of the eclectic method, is from 1817.[3][4][5][7]
Timeline
- 1651 – French éclectique.[3][4]
- 1683 – of ancient philosophers who selected from all schools.[7][3][5]
- 1814 – selective in general.[3][7]
- 1817 – noun, one who follows an eclectic method.[3][4][5][7]
- 1847 – drawn from diverse sources.[4][7]
Modern meaning
Adjective
- Choosing what seems best from a variety of sources, systems or styles.
- Made up of elements from varied sources; heterogeneous.
Noun
- A person who follows an eclectic method.
Word family
- eclectically
- eclecticism
Related words
- elect
- select
- legend
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
- ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Related etymologies
- phylactery · also from Greek
- synecdoche · also from Greek
- theosophy · also from Greek
- gnostic · also from Greek
- pyrrhic · also from Greek
- pleonasm · also from Greek
- trapezium · also from Greek
- satyr · also from Greek
Cite this entry
“Eclectic.” Etymologically, 13 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/eclectic. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.
Last edited on . ·