What does eclectic mean?
Word: Eclectic
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Eclectic means choosing from many different styles, sources or ideas rather than sticking to one.
Synonyms: wide-ranging
How do you spell eclectic?
Syllables: e - clec - tic
Tricky part: Habit makes the hand write electric, so pupils lose the c near the start or add an r near the end. Electic and eclectric are both wrong.
Watch out for: electic, eclectric
Memory tip: Start it the way you start eclipse. Those same first three letters keep you off the electric track.
Eclectic in a sentence
Example 1: The school fete had an eclectic mix of stalls, from pottery to robotics.
Example 2: Her eclectic bookshelf holds comics, atlases and old poetry side by side.
Example 3: The chef's eclectic menu changes with the season.
Fun Fact
In ancient Greece, the Eclectics were thinkers who would not follow one school and picked the best ideas from several. Their name came from a Greek word meaning to pick out.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word eclectic as used in the sentence:
Dev's eclectic taste in music runs from folk songs to British rock.
a) modest
b) secret
c) diverse
d) expensive
Show answer
c) diverse. Diverse means very varied, which folk songs and British rock together suggest.
Word Cookie
Choose the letters that complete the word:
ecl_ct_c
a) i, i
b) e, e
c) e, i
d) a, i
Show answer
c) e, i. Said slowly, the last two beats are clec and tic.
Mingle-Mangle
Rearrange the jumbled letters in the sentence to form the right word:
Our school library has an ctccliee range of magazines near the front desk.
a) electronic
b) electric
c) eclectic
d) eccentric
Show answer
c) eclectic. Three c's and no r: of these words, only one is built that way.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. repertoir 2. eclectic 3. bibliofile 4. connoiseur
a) a person who loves or collects books
b) all the pieces a performer is able to give
c) drawing on many kinds of taste or influence
d) an expert judge in matters of taste
Show answer
c) drawing on many kinds of taste or influence. Repertoire ends in an e, connoisseur has a double s, and bibliophile uses ph.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which menu would you describe in this way?
a) twelve kinds of plain dosa
b) fresh fruit juices and nothing else
c) one fixed thali for every guest
d) dosas, tacos, sushi and pasta together
Show answer
d) dosas, tacos, sushi and pasta together
2. A critic gives this label to an architect's style. What will visitors notice?
a) one strict style throughout
b) very tall towers of glass
c) walls left entirely bare
d) features borrowed from many periods
Show answer
d) features borrowed from many periods
