eclectic

• eclectick (obsolete)

From French éclectique, from Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikós, “selective”), from ἐκλέγω (eklégō, “I pick, choose”), from ἐκ (ek, “out, from”) + λέγω (légō, “I choose, count”).

Cognate to elect

• IPA^(key): /ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk/, /ɪˈklɛk.tɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

eclectic (comparative more eclectic, superlative most eclectic)

1. Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.
   • 1893, John Robson, Hinduism and its Relations to Christianity, page 211, 214

     Chunder Sen and the Progressive Brahmists broke entirely with Hinduism...and he selected from the scriptures of all creeds what seemed best in them for instruction and for worship. […] It is an eclectic religion: it seeks to select what is good from all religions, and it has become the latest evidence that no eclectic religion can ever influence large numbers of men.

2. Unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous.
   • 1983, Peter J. Wilson, Man, the Promising Primate: The Conditions of Human Evolution, page 140:

     All members of the Hominoidea, apes and man, show an eclectic taste in food but select, from a wide range of possibilities, only a few to provide the bulk of their diet.

   • 2006, W. Frederick Zimmerman, Should Barack Obama Be President?, page 153:

     Colvin said Obama has an eclectic taste in music, listening to everything from Indonesian flute music to OutKast to Motown.

• (unrelated and unspecialized): heterogeneous; see also Thesaurus:heterogeneous

• (selecting a mixture of doctrines): exclusive, homogeneous, orthodox, standard, uniform; see also Thesaurus:homogeneous

• eclectically
• eclecticism

• cherry pick
• heteroclite
• holistic

eclectic (plural eclectics)

1. Someone who selects according to the eclectic method.