What does eccentrically mean?
Eccentrically is an adverb describing actions or conditions that deviate from the conventional, the usual, or the geometric center. In everyday usage it characterizes behavior, dress, taste, or design that departs noticeably from social norms: someone who dresses eccentrically favors unusual combinations, and a building furnished eccentrically defies standard conventions of decor. The word typically carries a mild, even affectionate tone — it suggests harmless individuality rather than instability. In technical contexts such as engineering, mechanics, and astronomy, eccentrically has a precise literal meaning: positioned or moving so as not to share a common center, as when a wheel is eccentrically mounted on an axle. The word derives from the Greek roots ek- (out) and kentron (center), entering English via Latin and the adjective eccentric in the sixteenth century. It remains a useful term wherever precision about deviation — social or spatial — is required.
In a manner that deviates from conventional or accepted norms; oddly or unconventionally.
"He behaved so eccentrically at the dinner party that guests were unsure whether to laugh or worry."
So as to be off-center or not concentric with something else, used especially in engineering and mechanics.
"The cam rotates eccentrically about its shaft, converting circular motion into reciprocating motion."
"Eccentric" literally means "off-center" — from Greek ek- (out of) plus kentron (center) — so an eccentrically behaved person is, quite literally, not centered where society expects them to be.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eccentrically
Eccentrically derives from the adjective "eccentric," which entered English in the mid-sixteenth century from Medieval Latin eccentricus, itself borrowed from Greek ekkentros, meaning "out of center" (ek-, "out," plus kentron, "center"). Originally used in astronomy to describe orbits that do not share Earth's center, the adjective acquired its figurative sense of unconventional behavior by the seventeenth century, and the adverb followed. Cognates sharing the kentron root include "center," "concentric," and "heliocentric."
Related word forms
How eccentrically is actually used
Neutral to mildly affectionate connotation when describing personality or style — it suggests charming oddness rather than mental instability. In technical writing (engineering, astronomy), it carries no such connotation and is purely descriptive of position or motion relative to a center. Standard in both British and American English with no regional variation.
Easily confused with eccentrically
Centrally means located at or near the center, whereas eccentrically means off-center or deviating from the norm — nearly opposite meanings despite similar form.