curiosity

[ kyoo r-ee-os-i-tee ]

/ ˌkyʊər iˈɒs ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR curiosity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural cu·ri·os·i·ties.

the desire to learn or know about anything; inquisitiveness.

a curious, rare, or novel thing.

a strange, curious, or interesting quality.

Archaic. carefulness; fastidiousness.

Nearby words

Origin of curiosity

1350–1400; Middle English curiosite (< Anglo-French) < Latin cūriōsitās. See curious, -ity

Related formsnon·cu·ri·os·i·ty, nouno·ver·cu·ri·os·i·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for curiosity

I noticed a picture of her daughter, who was my classmate, and out of curiosity visited her page.
50 Shades of Iran: The Mullahs’ Kinky Fantasies about Sex in the West|IranWire, Shima Sharabi|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In fact, I publicly vowed to abstain from The Ball in 2012, but professional responsibilities and curiosity got the better of me.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, several probes—most recently the Curiosity rover—have measured methane in the Martian atmosphere.
Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Curiosity cabinets are really a 16th century thing of trying to understand the world,” Wynd says.
Dodo Bones and Kylie’s Poo: Inside London’s Strangest New Museum|Liza Foreman|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

One day, as I sat in our driveway in Long Island playing with blocks and buckets, my curiosity got the best of me.
Welcome to Generation Overshare: Lena Dunham, Taylor Swift, and the Politics of Self-Disclosure|Marlow Stern|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is so ugly that it is worth nothing, except as a curiosity; and if it ceased to be a curiosity it would be quite valueless.
A Year in a Lancashire Garden|Henry Arthur Bright
Copyright proprietors should not be required to disclose it otherwise, satisfying the curiosity of business rivals and others.
Arguments before the Committee on Patents of the House of Representatives, conjointly with the Senate Committee on Patents, on H.R. 19853, to amend and consolidate the acts respecting copyright|United States Committee on Patents
It was not long before their curiosity was satisfied; the marquis came in almost immediately, supported by two servants.
Captain Paul|Alexandre Dumas, Pere
He came back again tingling with curiosity, indignation, and suppressed defiance.
Salem Chapel, v. 2/2|Mrs. Oliphant
We are told that it exists; and when our curiosity has been thus aroused we are told that it is not worth while to produce it.
The Love Affairs of Lord Byron|Francis Henry Gribble

British Dictionary definitions for curiosity

curiosity

/ (ˌkjʊərɪˈɒsɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

an eager desire to know; inquisitiveness

the quality of being curious; strangeness
(as modifier)the ring had curiosity value only

something strange or fascinating

a rare or strange object; curio

obsolete fastidiousness

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for curiosity

curiosity

late 14c., "careful attention to detail," also "desire to know or learn" (originally usually in a bad sense), from Old French curiosete "curiosity, avidity, choosiness" (Modern French curiosité), from Latin curiositatem (nominative curiositas) "desire of knowledge, inquisitiveness," from curiosus (see curious). Neutral or good sense is from early 17c. Meaning "an object of interest" is from 1640s.

curiosity

noun, plural cu·ri·os·i·ties.

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Origin of curiosity

Examples from the Web for curiosity

curiosity

noun plural -ties

curiosity