Meaning & use
eccentricity
An unusual or peculiar habit, trait, or way of behaving that sets someone or something apart.
See it in a sentence
His habit of wearing mismatched socks was just one of his many eccentricities.
The old mansion's eccentricities included a hidden staircase behind the fireplace.
A note on using this word
In mathematics, eccentricity also measures how much an ellipse or orbit deviates from a perfect circle.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
In mathematics, a value describing how much a conic section, such as an ellipse, deviates from a circle.
A planet's orbital eccentricity determines how elliptical, rather than circular, its path around the sun is.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eccentricity”, then compare your use with the examples above.