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Showing results for oddity. Search instead for odditis.
Synonyms

oddity

American  
[od-i-tee] / ˈɒd ɪ ti /

noun

plural

oddities

  1. an odd or remarkably unusual person, thing, or event.

    Synonyms:
    wonder, curiosity, rarity

  2. the quality of being odd; singularity, strangeness, or eccentricity.

  3. an odd characteristic or trait; peculiarity.

oddity British  
/ ˈɒdɪtɪ /

noun

  1. an odd person or thing

  2. an odd quality or characteristic

  3. 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

Etymology

Origin of oddity

First recorded in 1705–15; odd + -ity

Explanation

An oddity is anything strange or unusual. Wearing ear muffs during a heat wave would be considered an oddity, because most people wouldn't do that. Anything odd is weird, strange, unusual, or bizarre. Oddities are things like that. Calling good friends "sir" would be an oddity, since that word is usually used in formal situations. Oddities can also be objects, especially unusual objects or souvenirs someone might collect.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing oddity

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

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"Superman and Me" and "A Smart Cookie/It's Our Story, Too"

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!

Emma

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.

In yeast they are extremely small and precise -- a striking oddity in the tree of life that has puzzled chromosome biologists for decades.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

Manchester United are still a bit of an oddity but they are entertaining, you'd give them that.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

I was curious enough to email eBay and report the oddity.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 25, 2025

I always assumed this oddity had something to do with Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

In spite of their fear, they reacted to an oppressive oddity, or what they called evil days, with an acceptance that bordered on welcome.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison

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.