eclectic
noun
- one who uses an eclectic method or approach
adjective
- selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles
- made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk/ / /ɪˈklɛk.tɪk/
adj
Etymology: From French éclectique, from Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikós, “selective”), from ἐκλέγω (eklégō, “to pick, choose”), from ἐκ (ek, “out, from”) + λέγω (légō, “to choose, count”). Cognate to elect.
- Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.
“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.”
“Though rooted in jazz, Byron's music is stylistically eclectic.”
- Unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous.
“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.”
“Colvin said Obama has an eclectic taste in music, listening to everything from Indonesian flute music to OutKast to Motown.”
noun
Etymology: From French éclectique, from Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikós, “selective”), from ἐκλέγω (eklégō, “to pick, choose”), from ἐκ (ek, “out, from”) + λέγω (légō, “to choose, count”). Cognate to elect.
- Someone who selects according to the eclectic method.
“Neo-Pagans are eclectics, often borrowing from a variety of cultural traditions as they try to shape their religious organizations and practices to meet group and individual needs.”