novelty
Americannoun
-
novelties
plural
-
state or quality of being novel, new, or unique; newness.
the novelty of a new job.
-
a novel occurrence, experience, or proceeding.
His sarcastic witticisms had ceased being an entertaining novelty.
-
an article of trade whose value is chiefly decorative, comic, or the like and whose appeal is often transitory.
a store catering to tourists who loaded up with souvenir pennants and other novelties.
adjective
-
Textiles.
-
(of a weave) consisting of a combination of basic weaves.
-
(of a fabric or garment) having a pattern or design produced by a novelty weave.
-
(of yarn) having irregularities within the fibrous structure.
-
-
of or relating to novelties as articles of trade.
novelty goods; novelty items.
-
having or displaying novelties.
novelty shop.
noun
-
-
the quality of being new and fresh and interesting
-
( as modifier )
novelty value
-
-
a new or unusual experience or occurrence
-
(often plural) a small usually cheap new toy, ornament, or trinket
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of novelty
1350–1400; Middle English novelte < Middle French novelete < Late Latin novellitās newness. See novel 2, -ity
Explanation
Novelty is a newness or refreshing quality. Many college freshmen enjoy the novelty of living on their own — until it comes time to do that first load of laundry. You'll often hear people talk about the novelty of a new experience — imagine the excitement and anticipation of cracking open a novel you’ve never read before to help remember the word. But novelty is also a term for a small toy or trinket, usually mass-produced. Novelty shops sell all kinds of funny knickknacks, from personalized flashlight key chains to stuffed singing hamsters.
Vocabulary lists containing novelty
Brand Spankin' New: Words with Neo- and Nov-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
30 GRE Words Beginning with "K" "L""M" and "N" and "O"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But other than novelty, what do these candidates have in common?
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
While walking cats may seem like a novelty, more Angelenos do it than you think.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The novelty now is the concentration of cases.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
But batteries improved, and the timesaving practice of battery swapping went from novelty to mainstream.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Ferris had created more than simply an engineering novelty.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
That is, the brand didn’t just win over people already buying other frozen novelties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
These two stories might seem like unrelated novelties — a viral toy and a tech-bro flex from a provincial government.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Like every year, robots are a major presence at CES, with companies hoping they will break into the mainstream as useful devices instead of novelties.
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026
Dr Jack Brown, lecturer at King's College London described the books as "wonderful... historical novelties".
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2024
He also studied the games of Mark Taimanov, the 1956 champion of the Soviet Union—and a concert pianist—who introduced novelties in opening play that Fischer found instructive.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
