curiosity

American  

[kyoor-ee-os-i-tee] / ˌkjʊər iˈɒs ɪ ti /

noun

• curiosities
  plural

1. 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.

2. a curious, rare, or novel thing.

   Exhibits on display will include such curiosities as preserved smells, infrared briefcases, and cameras hidden in coats.

3. 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.

4. Archaic. carefulness; fastidiousness.

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idioms

1. curiosity killed the cat, being too inquisitive is dangerous.

   I'd really like to know what's going on in the boss's head, but then, curiosity killed the cat.

curiosity British  

/ ˌkjʊərɪˈɒsɪtɪ /

noun

1. an eager desire to know; inquisitiveness

2. 1. the quality of being curious; strangeness

   2. ( as modifier )

      the ring had curiosity value only

3. something strange or fascinating

4. a rare or strange object; curio

5. obsolete fastidiousness

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncuriosity
  noun
• overcuriosity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• curiosities
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

curiosity curiosities

Pryor points to behavioral traits including coachability, curiosity, reliability, comfort asking for clarification and the ability to repair a misstep.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

The staff member played the files "out of curiosity", which stopped the stream from the presenter's remote location and broadcast the files on air.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Visitors who’ve been drawn by nostalgia or curiosity to see it — and smell it — for themselves have molded over 3,000 sphinxes so far.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

While that sequence was a technical feat for its time, many today view the 93-minute film itself as little more than a historical curiosity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

I listened to the scratch of the pen’s nib and burned with curiosity.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

"Until relatively recently, this subset of igneous rocks were mere curiosities," said Gibson.

From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026

For a variety of reasons, not least because people have questions, curiosities, comparisons and resentments.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 13, 2026

With its unusual focus, carried through a swirl of masterworks and little-known curiosities, the book offers a fresh look into the human heart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

Well, Wild London is abundant with animal curiosities: from pigeons hopping on to the Hammersmith and City line to a snake colony by a canal.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025

In 1968, its many books, pamphlets, and cryptographic curiosities were valued at $49,500—an amount worth at least $370,000 today.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• concern
• inquisitiveness
• interest