# eccentric

/ˌɛkˈsɛntɹɪk/ (US) · /ɛksˈɛntɹɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/eccentric
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. unconventional behaviour

adjective · CEFR B2

behaving in a way that is slightly strange or unusual, but often in a harmless or interesting way.

For teachers: deviating from established social norms or conventional patterns; typically used to describe personality or lifestyle in a non-pejorative way.

- The old professor was known for his eccentric habit of wearing two different shoes.
- Her eccentric lifestyle, which included living in a converted lighthouse and keeping a pet llama, made her a local celebrity.

### 2. not circular

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

not perfectly round; having an oval or elliptical shape.

For teachers: deviating from a perfect circle; in astronomy, describing an orbit that is elliptical rather than circular.

- The planet follows an eccentric path around its star.
- The comet's highly eccentric orbit brings it close to the sun only once every few centuries, spending most of its time in the outer solar system.

### 3. off-center

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

not placed in the middle or having a different center point than something else.

For teachers: not situated in the center; having a different center from another geometric figure.

- The designer chose an eccentric layout for the buttons to make the jacket look unique.
- The engineer noted that the eccentric placement of the weight was causing the machine to vibrate excessively at high speeds.

### 4. an unusual person

noun · CEFR B2

a person who has unusual habits or beliefs.

For teachers: an individual who deviates from conventional or accepted social behaviour.

- The town was full of eccentrics who didn't care what their neighbours thought.
- History remembers him as a brilliant eccentric who spent his entire fortune on a failed attempt to build a flying machine.

### 5. mechanical part

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a wheel or part of a machine that is not fixed in the center, used to change circular motion into straight motion.

For teachers: a disk or wheel mounted off-center on a shaft, used to convert rotary motion into reciprocating motion.

- The steam engine uses an eccentric to move the valves back and forth.
- The technician adjusted the eccentric on the drive shaft to ensure the piston reached its full range of motion without striking the cylinder head.

## Examples

- My neighbor is an eccentric man who wears pajamas to the grocery store.
- The professor was known for his eccentric teaching style, which included singing his lectures and wearing historical costumes.
- While his peers followed traditional career paths, he maintained an eccentric lifestyle, living in a converted lighthouse and dedicating his time to collecting rare mechanical clocks.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.