I was reading GRE vocabulary when i came across these two words. There dictionary definition is very similar to each other. They both stand for unconventional behaviour. Two examples :
He is a maverick who sometimes rebels against his own party.
Most of the artists are mavericks.
In the second sentence it looks eccentric can also go there.
The definitions might seem similar, but they are not closely related in use at all.
"Maverick" connotes more of a willful rebellion, as in someone who actively chooses not to do things the same way as everyone else. A maverick tends to be someone strong-willed or principled in their nonconformity.
"Eccentric" is used more accurately to describe someone who is strange or odd, which may not necessarily be purposeful or understood by other people.
