newness

[ noo-nis, nyoo- ]

noun

1. the fact or condition of having been only recently produced, purchased, discovered or learned about, etc.:

   If the brakes seem a little “grabby,” it may be due to the newness of the car—just over 1,500 miles on the odometer.

2. the fact or quality of being unfamiliar or novel:

   It's a sweet song, speaking of the newness and excitement of falling in love for the first time.

3. the fact or condition of being unaccustomed to or unfamiliar with something (often followed by to ):

   Use your newness to the business as an excuse to bumble around, introduce yourself, and take people out to coffee.

4. the fact or condition of being fresh or previously unused or untouched:

   Following the blizzard, the newness of the snow cover made the ravine a serene-looking place.

5. the fact or quality of being different and better than before:

   For Christians, baptism symbolizes the death and burial of their old life and their resurrection to “walk in newness of life.”

Other Words From

• un·new·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of newness¹

First recorded before 900; new ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

OnX Offroad is a new app that gives you details on off-road routes all over the United States and assigns each road a difficulty rating.

From Outside Online

By evening, Paul received a new kidney from an anonymous donor in Cincinnati.

From Washington Blade

If you’re a first-time voter or have moved to a new state since the last time you voted, you will need to register.

From ProPublica

Fifty years after the film’s premiere, producer Ryan Murphy is bringing “The Boys in the Band” back to the screen in a new adaptation that reunites acclaimed director Joe Mantello and the all-star cast of the Tony Award-winning 2018 Broadway revival.

From Washington Blade

Ok, so it would appear that you are the new CEO of the American Alpine Club, as of last month.

From Outside Online

It also offers both dogs a safe place to go should they be stressed by the newness of the interaction.

From The Daily Beast

Going back to Belgrade after 11 years, there was a newness to it, so the experience of it was familiarly exciting.

From The Daily Beast

During that month off, Cianfrance wanted to “destroy the newness,” Gosling says.

From The Daily Beast

What's remarkable, in the end, is how little newness there was.

From The Daily Beast

Her newness to the game was reinforced by the way she pronounced Lorne Michaels' name—“Loren.”

From The Daily Beast

But there is a newness in every thing here, a want of interest on account of what has been, that is most sensibly felt.

From Project Gutenberg

Good sound sense, neatly adjusted argument, newness of thought, and clear illustration characterise his expressions.

From Project Gutenberg

We are buried with Him, and rise with Him to walk in newness of life.

From Project Gutenberg

The demonstrations of electricity are startling chiefly for three reasons: newness, silence, and inconceivable rapidity of action.

From Project Gutenberg

These qualities of the Christian dispensation, which constitute its newness, are too readily lost sight of.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• novelty
• uniqueness