Eclectic

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: ec=lec=tic

CIDE DICTIONARY

Eclectic, a. [Gr. , fr. to pick out, choose out: cf. F. éclectique. See Eclogue, and cf. Elect.].

•  Selecting; choosing (what is true or excellent in doctrines, opinions, etc.) from various sources or systems; as, an eclectic philosopher.  [1913 Webster]
•  Consisting, or made up, of what is chosen or selected; as, an eclectic method; an eclectic magazine.  [1913 Webster]

Eclectic physician, one of a class of practitioners of medicine, who select their modes of practice and medicines from all schools; formerly, sometimes the same as botanic physician. [U.S.] -- Eclectic school. (Paint.) See Bolognese school, under Bolognese.

Eclectic, n. 

 One who follows an eclectic method.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Eclectic, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 deriving ideas, tastes, style, etc., from various sources.
2 Philos. & Art selecting one's beliefs etc. from various sources; attached to no particular school of philosophy.
--n.
1 an eclectic person.
2 a person who subscribes to an eclectic school of thought.

Derivative

eclectically adv. eclecticism n.

Etymology

Gk eklektikos f. eklego pick out

THESAURUS

Eclectic

Cyrenaic, Eleatic, Epicurean, Megarian, Stoic, adoptive, amalgamated, ambiguous, ambivalent, amphibious, animist, animistic, appointive, assimilated, assorted, atomistic, blended, broad, catholic, choosing, choosy, combinative, combinatory, combined, complex, composite, compound, compounded, comprehensive, conglomerate, conjoint, conjugate, conjunctive, connective, consolidated, constituent, cosmotheistic, dappled, derived, discerning, discriminating, diverse, diversified, elective, electoral, empirical, equivocal, eudaemonistic, existential, fastidious, fifty-fifty, finicky, fused, fussy, half-and-half, hedonic, hedonist, hedonistic, heterogeneous, humanist, humanistic, idealistic, inclusive, incorporated, indiscriminate, instrumentalist, integrated, intricate, ironic, joined, joint, jumbled, many-sided, materialistic, mechanistic, medley, merged, metaphysical, mingled, miscellaneous, mixed, monistic, motley, multifaceted, multifarious, multiform, multinational, multiracial, naturalistic, nominalist, one, panlogistical, pantheistic, particular, patchy, picky, pluralistic, positivist, positivistic, pragmatic, pragmatist, promiscuous, rationalistic, realist, realistic, scholastic, scrambled, select, selecting, selective, sensationalistic, syncretic, syncretistic, syncretized, synthesized, theistic, thrown together, transcendentalist, transcendentalistic, united, unoriginal, utilitarian, varied, vitalistic, voluntarist, voluntaristic

ROGET THESAURUS

Eclectic

Choice

N choice, option, discretion, preoption, alternative, dilemma, embarras de choix, adoption, cooptation, novation, decision, election, political election (politics), selection, excerption, gleaning, eclecticism, excerpta, gleanings, cuttings, scissors and paste, pick, preference, prelation, opinion poll, survey, predilection, optional, discretional, eclectic, choosing, preferential, chosen, choice, optionally, at pleasure, either the one or the other, or at the option of, whether or not, once and for all, for one's money, by choice, by preference, in preference, rather, before.