Etymologically
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eclectic

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 13 October 2026 at 01:42. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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

  1. Choosing what seems best from a variety of sources, systems or styles.
  2. Made up of elements from varied sources; heterogeneous.

Noun

  1. A person who follows an eclectic method.

Word family

  • eclectically
  • eclecticism
  • elect
  • select
  • legend

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ 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