What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Eclectic vs Motley - What's the difference?

eclectic | motley |

As adjectives the difference between eclectic and motley

is that eclectic is selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles while motley is comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity; heterogeneous.

As nouns the difference between eclectic and motley

is that eclectic is someone who selects according to the eclectic method while motley is an incongruous mixture.

eclectic

English

Alternative forms

* eclectick (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.
  • * 1893 , John Robson, Hinduism and its Relations to Christianity , page 211, 214
    • Chunder Sen and the Progressive Brahmists broke entirely with Hinduism...and he selected from the scriptures of all creeds what seemed best in them for instruction and for worship. It is an eclectic' religion: it seeks to select what is good from all religions, and it has become the latest evidence that no ' eclectic religion can ever influence large numbers of men.
  • Unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous.
  • * 1983 , Peter J. Wilson, Man, the Promising Primate: The Conditions of Human Evolution , page 140
    • All members of the Hominoidea, apes and man, show an eclectic taste in food but select, from a wide range of possibilities, only a few to provide the bulk of their diet.
  • * 2006 , W. Frederick Zimmerman, Should Barack Obama Be President? , page 153
    • Colvin said Obama has an eclectic taste in music, listening to everything from Indonesian flute music to OutKast to Motown.

    Derived terms

    * eclectically * eclecticism

    Synonyms

    * (unrelated and unspecialized) heterogeneous

    Antonyms

    * (selecting a mixture of doctrines) exclusive, homogeneous, orthodox, standard, uniform

    See also

    * cherry pick * heteroclite

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Someone who selects according to the eclectic method.

    • motley

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity; heterogeneous.
  • *
  • *:Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.
  • Having many colours; variegated.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An incongruous mixture.
  • A jester's multicoloured clothes.
  • (by extension) A jester; a fool.
  • * 1598 , , III. iii. 71:
    • Will you be married, motley ?
  • * 1609 , :
    • Alas, 'tis true, I have gone here and there, / And made myself a motley to the view,