Eccentric

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/

Definitions

1. Behaving in an unconventional or slightly strange manner that deviates from what is considered normal or typical
2. Departing from recognized or established norms in behavior or appearance, resulting in an unusual or quirky persona
3. Displaying a penchant for peculiar habits or styles that distinguish one from the mainstream cultural norms

Etymology: The word began as a technical term in astronomy. Ancient Greek "ἔκκεντρος" (ékkentros) meant "not having the earth as the center of an orbit," built from "ἐκ" (ek, "out") and "κέντρον" (kéntron, "point" or "centre"). Greek astronomers used it for orbits, such as the paths of the planets, that were off-centre from the point they were assumed to circle around. Medieval Latin then took it as "eccentricus," and French gave it the form "excentrique," which English later borrowed. The shift from circles to character happened gradually. An orbit that wandered away from its expected centre was merely irregular, and English speakers began applying the same image to people whose conduct drifted from the usual pattern. The word kept its geometric sense alongside the personal one, so a mathematician can still speak of an eccentric circle.

Synonyms: unconventional, quirky, odd

Antonyms: conventional, normal, ordinary