oddity

[od-i-tee]

See more synonyms for oddity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural odd·i·ties for 1, 3.

an odd or remarkably unusual person, thing, or event.
the quality of being odd; singularity, strangeness, or eccentricity.
an odd characteristic or trait; peculiarity.

Origin of oddity

First recorded in 1705–15; odd + -ity

Synonyms

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1. rarity, curiosity, wonder.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for oddity

Contemporary Examples

The gentle, erudite soul within a body the public considered an oddity is the contrast at the heart of “The Elephant Man.”
The True Story of ‘The Elephant Man’
Russell Saunders
November 3, 2014
Africa was supposedly a place to avoid or, at best, an oddity to pity.
How I Got Addicted to Africa (and Wrote a Thriller About It)
Todd Moss
September 9, 2014
To that end, they partnered with oddity website Atlas Obscura over the summer to host “The School of Transgressive Placemaking.”
A Most Illegal Adventure with New York City’s Wildest Underground Event Planners
Nina Strochlic
December 16, 2013
First oddity: power, open restaurants, people not in panic mode.
How Military Veterans Led Sandy Volunteer Efforts
Peter Meijer
October 28, 2013
Beaching of the oarfish is a very rare occurrence—the last time it happened was 2010—so two in one week is certainly an oddity.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something?
Kevin Bailey
October 23, 2013

Historical Examples

Its oddity struck me, and remained impressed upon my memory.
The Room in the Dragon Volant
J. Sheridan LeFanu
But the oddity in the present case was that he said nothing.
Wilfrid Cumbermede
George MacDonald
If he did not seem exactly interested, he certainly behaved with some oddity.
Wilfrid Cumbermede
George MacDonald
There was no mention of the oddity of behavior of shiploads of surplus grain aloft.
Pariah Planet
Murray Leinster
The oddity and incongruity of her attire attracted attention.
The Manxman
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for oddity

oddity

noun plural -ties

an odd person or thing
an odd quality or characteristic
the condition of being odd

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 oddity

n.

1713, "odd characteristic or trait," a hybrid from odd + -ity. Meaning "odd person" is first recorded 1748.

oddity

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}oddity

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for oddity

Contemporary Examples

The gentle, erudite soul within a body the public considered an oddity is the contrast at the heart of “The Elephant Man.”

Africa was supposedly a place to avoid or, at best, an oddity to pity.

To that end, they partnered with oddity website Atlas Obscura over the summer to host “The School of Transgressive Placemaking.”

First oddity: power, open restaurants, people not in panic mode.

Beaching of the oarfish is a very rare occurrence—the last time it happened was 2010—so two in one week is certainly an oddity.

Historical Examples

Its oddity struck me, and remained impressed upon my memory.

But the oddity in the present case was that he said nothing.

If he did not seem exactly interested, he certainly behaved with some oddity.

There was no mention of the oddity of behavior of shiploads of surplus grain aloft.

The oddity and incongruity of her attire attracted attention.

oddity

Word Origin and History for oddity

n.

Origin of oddity