What’s the Correct Use for the Word “Eclectic” in Writing?

Most people like to do different things or have multiple interests. There, however, are not many who develop varied interests in a particular niche or topic or desire to bring various items together in a symbiotic way. In other words, these are people with “eclectic” choices or thought processes.

The adjective “eclectic” means “ideas, taste, style, etc., derived from diverse sources”. A house can be designed “eclectically”. People can also have “eclectic” tastes in music. The term is essentially used in texts to signify a thing that’s “wide-ranging”, “extensive”, “cross-disciplinary”, etc.

As mentioned above, “eclectic” plays “adjective” to various nouns in different knowledge areas. If you’d like to learn more about the term, how to correctly use it in sentences, and a host of other related information, keep reading.

“Eclectic” – Meaning

The adjective “eclectic” means “a thing or approach that consists of elements or attributes drawn from multiple sources”. The “eclectic” method or way of doing things could be likened to the “kitchen-sink” approach, but the former has more aesthetic appeal comparatively.

The term “kitchen-sink” broadly means “everything” but has nothing to do with the principles or appreciation of beauty. Also, “eclectic” implies “being choosy”, which “kitchen-sink” does not signify.

An “eclectic” person is worldly and knows or is familiar with multiple languages, lifestyles, languages, food, cooking styles, etc. A person who likes listening to different kinds of music – right from the country, gospel, classical, and hip hop – has an “eclectic” music taste.

A collection of vinyl records can be described as “eclectic” if it consists of a wide range of music spanning a continuum of genres. A house is “eclectic” if it has a mix of furniture items or blends in different styles, such as modern fused with vintage designs.

A gourmet can be labeled as “eclectic” if they are not into a particular type of food or cuisine but instead fancy trying different and new things from various parts of the world. Such food enthusiasts look for unique tastes and do not attach themselves to specific ingredients. They also continually hunt for different cooking methods.

What is “Not Eclectic”?

“Eclectic” denotes “bringing together things harmoniously”. It, however, doesn’t imply “experimentation with multiple things” done for the sake of it or trying to blend items that do not complement each other or co-exist. However, the assembling of things should be done within bounds.

For instance, if a house has modern art hanging upside down, bottlecaps replacing traditional doorknobs, and wild animals as pets, the vibe the physical space offers is not “eclectic” but “eccentric”. But since “eclectic” is a somewhat subjective term or idea, “eccentric” may seem “eclectic” to some.

Long story short, “eclectic” is not something “unconventional” or “odd”. It’s “diverse” but not “weird”. It denotes a lethal combination that’s balanced and cohesive.

Origin of the Term

The word “eclectic” has its roots in Greek. It’s not clear what is that particular Greek word, but it means “to select” or “being choosy”. The term was initially used to describe philosophers who devoted their time or dabbled in multiple philosophy systems.

These ancient philosophers embraced or imbibed doctrines that pleased them or connected with them, regardless of the school of thought those codifications of beliefs belonged to. Over a period, the Greek term was used to encompass things beyond philosophy, spilling over to fields such as music, painting, architecture, and several more.

What is “Eclecticism”?

“Eclecticism” is the noun form of “eclectic”. It means all things the term “eclectic” denotes. However, “eclecticism” could assume a slightly different avatar in the field of knowledge it gets discussed in.

In psychology, for instance, “eclecticism” means the “eclectic perspective”. It means selecting techniques and methods from various schools of thought and producing positive outcomes and a customized plan for a particular individual. Therapists generally employ approaches from both cognitive and behavioral perspectives to treat depression.

In music, “eclecticism” denotes the “mindful use of styles foreign to the composer’s nature”. The style could be, for instance, from a long-gone era or something extremely alien. The term is also pejoratively used to bring to light unoriginal or banal musical compositions. Eclecticism can also be gleaned from musical quotations.

Using the Term “Eclectic” in Texts

As mentioned above, the term “eclectic” can be used in a range of prose, right from texts discussing home design and music styles to science, literature, and philosophy. Here are a few example sentences demonstrating how the adjective could be used to describe pretty much anything:

• She has pretty eclectic thoughts.
• His watch collection is quite eclectic, ranging from pieces from the Holy Trinity to watches from several microbrands.
• This eclectic philosophical mix underlies her experience of the unconscious.
• The current project employs an extremely eclectic meaning of the term.
• He is more of an eclectic and less of a realist.
• He isn’t a systematic thinker but is certainly impacted by the eclectic thought of reconciling different philosophies.
• The field has had a remarkable surge of activity, partially eclectic or assimilative and partly original.
• The eclectic restaurant provides an authentic taste of the neighborhood.

As mentioned above, “eccentric” and “eclectic” are two related but quite different terms. It’s, however, not uncommon to see them both used in a single sentence or “eccentric” used as an intensifier of sorts for “eclectic”. For example:

• The pub is known for its eccentrically eclectic menus that you could associate with only a handful of pubs in the area.

Even if the above sentence doesn’t feature “eccentrically”, it would still work or not have a significant change in its meaning.

Using the Terms “Eclectically” and “Eclecticism” in Writings

The adverb form of the word is “eclectically”, and it can be employed in sentences like the following:

• His project eclectically draws on mythology and modern science.
• Most current-gen dance choreographers draw eclectically from various dance styles to create a fusion of sorts.
• The religious establishment has eclectically mixed idols of different religions, managing to give followers of the respective faiths their spaces.

“Eclectically” is not as common a term as “eclectic”, or it doesn’t get used in sentences quite often.

“Eclecticism” can give “eclectically” a tough fight when adjudicating which term is the rarer of the two, at least in modern-day texts. Regardless, here are a few sentences incorporating the word:

• Those fragments could be attributed to the century’s eclecticism.
• An eclecticism wave passed over the schools in the region during the first century.
• Eclecticism has typically acquired a kind of contemptuous significance.

Example Sentences with the Word “Eclectic”

The following is an almost exhaustive list of sentences using the adjective “eclectic” correctly and in different ways:

• The eclectic look was characterized by the diversity of fabrics – textured, patterned, or both.
• A combination of textures and finishes sets the eclectic appearance apart from others.
• He was carrying an eclectic assortment of rods, buckets, nets, and coolers.
• The credit for her ability to be so witty and make precise observations must go to her eclectic and broad reading proclivities.
• The crowd that came to witness the game was eclectic and dangerously obsessed with treachery and narcissism.
• The collection consists of an eclectic blend of historical artifacts.
• He refused to abjure his eclectic lifestyle to fit in with their facetious attitude.
• The museum’s collection is eclectic, consisting of everything – right from medieval musical instruments and a giraffe skeleton to legendary but obsolete consumer electronic goods.
• Most of the houses from that era are still there, exhibiting an eclectic mixture of modern yet straightforward-looking wood-frame homes.
• The bright hues continued in a refined yet eclectic manner.
• The eclectic song selections were played continuously for two days.
• By allying herself with the eclectics, Martina was banished by the traditional pharmacists.
• The radio station is renowned for playing an eclectic mixture of music.
• Her style was global, easily identified, eclectic, but extremely challenging to define or encapsulate in words.
• The historic place attracts an eclectic crowd – the hip, the happening, and the powerful.
• The origins of those theories were eclectic at best.
• After spending a summer in the country, she realized she had just barely scratched the complex and eclectic belief system’s surface.
• The business and financial exemptions applying to the commercial zones were rather eclectic.
• The end product was an eclectic outcome of various technologies.
• The choices made were both literary and realistic, eclectic, and open to interpretations.
• The architecture style during the period combined elements of Roman, Greek, and modern. It was eclectic, in other words.
• The restaurant’s eclectic menu consists of entrees from Greek to Mexican to Thai.

Conclusion

The term “eclectic” is easy to understand since it doesn’t have varied interpretations or is not used differently in various contexts. It may imply a few different or added things in specific specializations, but the root meaning is always intact.

The challenge, however, for some people could be the word’s spelling. Though not the lengthiest word, the arrangement of letters can make it both tricky to pronounce and difficult to spell. If not for online spell-check tools, most people would get the spelling wrong.

The key to using the word correctly is getting both its context and spelling right. Make sure you learn to pronounce the word correctly first. The spelling part shall become pretty easy then.