Words / C1

ik-SENTR-ik/ɪkˈsentrɪk/

Eccentric means unusual in a slightly strange, typically harmless way: an eccentric professor, eccentric hours. Odd is everyday; unconventional is a close twin; conventional sits opposite. Charm does not rewrite occupancy.

Meaning

Unusual in a slightly strange but typically harmless way.

Examples

• “An eccentric seating plan is still a fire-occupancy question, not a charm.”
• “Odd is everyday. Quirky is informal. Bizarre is stronger. Taste can be odd. Headcount is a certificate. Rearrange chairs inside the numbered limit; do not sell the overflow as personality.”

Good to know

Odd in a harmless way. Everyday: odd. Close: unconventional. Charm ≠ occupancy.

Near in meaning

unconventional

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