curiosity
Americannoun
-
curiosities
plural
-
the desire to learn or know about anything; inquisitiveness.
The lesson provoked their curiosity about the natural world.
She feels that tolerance is fed by knowledge, an open mind, and curiosity about others.
-
a curious, rare, or novel thing.
Exhibits on display will include such curiosities as preserved smells, infrared briefcases, and cameras hidden in coats.
-
a strange, curious, or interesting quality or feature.
How bankers from Nova Scotia set up in the Caribbean in the 1880s is a curiosity of financial history.
One of the human brain's many curiosities is its tendency to see faces in abstract shapes.
-
Archaic. carefulness; fastidiousness.
idioms
noun
-
an eager desire to know; inquisitiveness
-
-
the quality of being curious; strangeness
-
( as modifier )
the ring had curiosity value only
-
-
something strange or fascinating
-
a rare or strange object; curio
-
obsolete fastidiousness
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of curiosity
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English curiosite, either from Anglo-French or directly from Latin cūriōsitās, from cūriōs(us) curious + -itās -ity
Explanation
Curiosity is the urge you feel to know more about something. If you find a diary in a coffee shop, curiosity will make you want to look inside — but respect for the writer's privacy may convince you not to. Curiosity is the state of being curious: inquisitive, wondering, ready to poke around and figure something out. The word used to mean "very, very careful," and only in the last few hundred years turned into a word expressing the desire to know more. Maybe that's because when you're poking around in secret business, you need to be very, very careful. We also call weird things curiosities, like a phone shaped like a duck, or a shark in a jar.
Vocabulary lists containing curiosity
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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!
"LAFFF"
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!
We Were Liars
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:
“There’s a certain type of person that, once you’re out of school, you crave learning and have curiosity about the world and really want to dig into a subject,” Jerry said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026
The attendant asked with curiosity where I was from.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
But restrictions often pique readers' curiosity and could introduce them to Rooney and other Irish writers, Doherty said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
To most people, Bored Apes and their nonfungible token brethren, such as Pudgy Penguins and CryptoPunks, are a curiosity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
In just six months that game had established him as more than just a curiosity: He was now a new star in the international chess galaxy.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Senate, to a handful of curiosities, like the mayor’s race in Waratah-Wynyard, a rural municipality in Tasmania.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
Their audience generally skews older, and for some, an older crowd’s curiosities skew boring.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
"Until relatively recently, this subset of igneous rocks were mere curiosities," said Gibson.
From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026
They were just a few members of a U.S. delegation accompanying Trump filled with curiosities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
“I am surprised to see you out of your study. Can it be that your wondrous curiosities have finally loosened their grip?”
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
