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.

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oddity British  

/ ˈɒdɪtɪ /

noun

1. an odd person or thing

2. an odd quality or characteristic

3. the condition of being odd

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Etymology

Origin of oddity

First recorded in 1705–15; odd + -ity

Example Sentences

Her mother died when Sydney was 7, and she was influenced by the oddities of her father, a yachtsman who dressed Sydney in a sailor suit until she was 18.

From The Wall Street Journal

Beneath the surface, however, Bohm has faced obstacles and oddities, including a frightening elbow infection and a viral social media post touting his generosity that was untrue.

From Los Angeles Times

Sports underestimate their human elements, the tics and oddities that make them unique.

From The Wall Street Journal

Together, the studies provide new insights into fast radio bursts and suggest they could become valuable tools for studying the universe, rather than remaining mysterious cosmic oddities.

From Science Daily

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

Related Words

• abnormality
• anomaly
• characteristic
• curiosity
• idiosyncrasy
• incongruity
• irregularity
• peculiarity
• phenomenon
• quirk
• rarity