eccentric

C1 Topic:People & Society

US /ɛkˈsɛntɹɪk/ UK /ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #10954

Meanings

1

adj
Behaving in a strange or unusual way; unconventional.

Her eccentric uncle kept a pet parrot that rode on his shoulder.
2

noun
A person who behaves in a strange or unusual way.

The old artist was a well-known eccentric in the village.
3

adj
Not perfectly circular; following an uneven path.

The comet travels in a highly eccentric orbit around the sun.

Thesaurus

Opposites

concentric consistent conventional mainstream normal ordinary uneccentric

Word family

Forms eccentrics

Derived forms eccentricallyeccentricateeccentrizeisoeccentricphotoeccentricuneccentric

Related forms acentriccentralcentriceccentricity foible idiosyncrasy insane quirk

Etymology

From Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “not having the earth as the center of an orbit”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “point”). Equivalent to ex- + -centric.

excentrique Middle French eccentricus la-med ἔκκεντρος Ancient Greek

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Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# eccentric

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɛkˈsɛntɹɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 10954

## Meanings
1. Behaving in a strange or unusual way; unconventional.
2. A person who behaves in a strange or unusual way.
3. Not perfectly circular; following an uneven path.

## Examples
- Her eccentric uncle kept a pet parrot that rode on his shoulder.
- The old artist was a well-known eccentric in the village.
- The comet travels in a highly eccentric orbit around the sun.

## Synonyms
- aberrant
- abnormal
- anomalous
- balmy
- barmy
- bizarre
- crackpot
- crank
- cranky
- erratic
- excentrical
- extraordinary

## Antonyms
- concentric
- consistent
- conventional
- mainstream
- normal
- ordinary
- uneccentric

## Derived Forms
- eccentrically
- eccentricate
- eccentrize
- isoeccentric
- photoeccentric
- uneccentric

## Related Forms
- acentric
- central
- centric
- eccentricity
- foible
- idiosyncrasy
- insane
- quirk

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: excentrique
- Root: eccentricus
- Root: ἔκκεντρος

## Etymology
From Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “not having the earth as the center of an orbit”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “point”). Equivalent to ex- + -centric.

## AI Etymology
Eccentric is from Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “not having the earth as the center of an orbit”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “point”). Equivalent to ex- + -centric. Important historical forms include Middle French excentrique, Medieval Latin eccentricus, and Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος. In present-day use, it can mean behaving in a strange or unusual way; unconventional, or a person who behaves in a strange or unusual way. Derived formations include eccentrically, eccentricate, eccentrize, isoeccentric, photoeccentric.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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eccentric

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