originality
Americannoun
-
the quality or state of being original.
- Synonyms:
- ingenuity, inventiveness, creativeness, cleverness
-
ability to think or express oneself in an independent and individual manner; creative ability.
-
freshness or novelty, as of an idea, method, or performance.
- Synonyms:
- creativeness, cleverness, ingenuity, inventiveness
noun
-
the quality or condition of being original
-
the ability to create or innovate
-
something original
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of originality
From the French word originalité, dating back to 1735–45. See original, -ity
Explanation
Originality is the quality of being new and inventive. A composer who writes a symphony to be played by car horns and cell phones shows great originality. When something is original, it is creative and not derived from something else. It's fresh. Originality refers to the quality of being original and new. Inventors are full of originality: they need to think of brand new ideas and products. A great artist is full of originality, especially when coming up with new and surprising types of art. If something is just like other things, it shows no originality. True originality is a rare thing.
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.
“Kim’s Convenience” may not win points for originality, but originality isn’t really the point of an immigrant family drama meant to be instantly, one might say universally, recognizable.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
It is interesting that they’ve always been enormously vain about the originality of their policy insights, their perceiving before others the rise of populism.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
In slopestyle, athletes navigate a course with a variety of obstacles, including rails and various jumps, and are judged on the breadth, originality, and quality of their stunts.
From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026
“Food Network started losing its originality when it started to be more ‘Iron Chef America’ . . . cake-offs and ‘Iron Chef’ and ‘Chopped’ and all that.
From Salon • Jan. 30, 2026
His valve was executing several maneuvers that exceeded in originality and violence anything it had done before.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
