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I'm looking for a word, to be honest I'm not sure if such a word even exists, though this would be a word, or a phrase that describes more of a personality.

Take this as an example:

Bill works as an electronic engineer. He enjoys cycling, jogging and mostly any sport. He's teaching himself piano, and loves music. He could speak about astronomy for hours, same thing goes for airplanes, car tuning, and weapons. He loves to see artists show off their paintings and sculptures, since he could never really get use to holding a paint brush. Another thing he would spend his money on, is traveling to see ancient buildings, from different cultures all around the world, and the history of that country.

I could have added more details, but I think that would be enough to give you the idea.

As you can see, this character's personality is quite varied in terms of interests and hobbies, and he enjoys doing and learning a lot of different things.

So my question is, what would be the best word to describe such a personality? One who has a lot of interests, hobbies, and loves learning about anything?

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  • A pity you've already awarded the answer. There are many other possibilities. One that springs to my mind is, multitalented or multi-talented and multifaceted
    – Mari-Lou A
    Nov 9, 2013 at 13:41
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    I just thought that was the word that I was looking for, but multi-talented, in my opinion, describes someone who knows how to play rugby, baseball, and sing, for example. There is a difference between having multiple talents, and being interested in various different activites
    – BrownEyes
    Nov 9, 2013 at 15:14
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    Well if he can play a musical instrument, does sports, knows about astronomy and is a qualified engineer I would call him multifaceted. If he's only interested in a variety of subjects (without being specifically knowledgeable) then multitalented is not an accurate description but neither is polymath or a Renaissance man I.M.H.O.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Nov 9, 2013 at 17:02
  • @Mari-LouA True, you have a very valid point - Both polymath/renaissance man and multifaceted can describe his personality
    – BrownEyes
    Nov 9, 2013 at 23:19

11 Answers 11

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One word is polymath.

noun
a person of wide knowledge or learning:
a Renaissance polymath

[ODO]

You could say he has an eclectic range of interests.

adjective
1 deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources:
universities offering an eclectic mix of courses

[ODO]

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7

The word you are looking for is multipotentialite.

Multipotentiality is an educational and psychological term referring to the ability of a person, particularly one of strong intellectual or artistic curiosity, to excel in two or more different fields.

It can also refer to an individual whose interests span multiple fields or areas, rather than being strong in just one. Such traits are called multipotentialities, while "multipotentialites" has been suggested as a name for persons who wrestle with these issues. By contrast, those whose interests lie mostly within a single field are called "specialists."

While the term multipotentialite can be used interchangeably with polymath or Renaissance Person, the terms are not identical. One need not be an expert in any particular field to be a multipotentialite. Other terms used to refer to multipotentialites are scanners, slashers, and multipods, among others.

(Wikipedia)

Pertinent TED talk:

On being a multipotentialite | Anthony Rahayel | TEDxLAU

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    Hello, Joe Lind, and welcome to English Language & Usage. Your answer has the potential to be quite interesting and useful, but it is not at all self-contained. To strengthen it, please consider adding a dictionary (or other reputable reference work) definition of multipotentialite, linking to it if possible, as well as adding a link to the TED talk you have in mind and perhaps a very brief synopsis of what the conclusions of the TED talk were. Then interested future readers won't have to duplicate the effort of finding the information you refer to on their own.
    – Sven Yargs
    Mar 11, 2016 at 6:32
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    +1 Thanks for adding the links and the Wikipedia discussion.
    – Sven Yargs
    Mar 11, 2016 at 18:07
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Bill the engineer may be a dilettante, depending on his level of devotion to his various activities.

1 An amateur, someone who dabbles in a field out of casual interest rather than as a profession or serious interest.

2 (sometimes offensive) A person with a general but superficial interest in any art or a branch of knowledge.

In the US at least, that second definition is often assumed. Increasingly, the same negative connotation also holds for eclectic persons.

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  • I have never heard "eclectic" having a negative connotation. Could you please give an example?
    – Theresa
    Apr 28, 2017 at 0:20
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I think you may need two or more English words to get a really accurate description. Of the other words here, polymath connotes wide-ranging and notable competence, and eclectic has a choosy flavor about it, things chosen very specifically for some purpose that may be best explained by looking at what was chosen.

A word I like here is lower-case 'c' 'catholic' as in 'catholic tastes'. That one implies broad-ranging interest not only in individual fields but also an interest or desire to appreciate how they all fit in the human condition.

"An energetic man of catholic tastes."

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He sounds like a Renaissance man. 'Polymath' is probably more someone who studies everything from an external motive (to make money at quizzes, beat Moriarty ...) rather than purely for the sake of rounding one's personality.

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I was looking for a similar word, and philomath fulfills all my requirements.

A philomath is a lover of learning. Philomathy is similar to, but distinguished from, philosophy in that -soph, the latter suffix, specifies "wisdom" or "knowledge", rather than the process of acquisition thereof.

Philomath is not synonymous with polymath. A philomath is a seeker of knowledge and facts, while a polymath is a possessor of knowledge in multiple fields.

Source: Wikipedia

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Try many-faceted to describe the personality type. Multi-faceted also works, but bear in mind that that term is used much more often than many-faceted to describe also the characteristics of a crystal or precious stone. Multifarious or diverse both work as descriptions for interests or hobbies.

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An expression that has become popular in the UK, albeit mostly used in connection with retired people, is to say that they have a large 'hinterland' of interests. It doesn't necessarily mean they are multi-talented. The interests in question could be banal.

Someone preoccupied entirely with their work is said to have a 'shallow hinterland', and hence, the rationale goes, is likely to be bored in retirement.

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"Multifaceted" is the word.

Here is its meaning from the Oxford Dictionary

Having many different aspects or features: his extraordinary and multifaceted career

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It is difficult to see a specific pattern here except for a wide range of activities or experiences. You do not comment on his level of skill or expertise in any of these fields. He sounds like an

  • experiential omnivore

  • experiential gourmet

  • experiential gourmand

  • experiential glutton

  • experiential junkie

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He has broad interests or **a wide range of interests*".

If he makes a conscious effort to develop additional interests, he is broadening his interests.

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