novelty
Americannoun
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state or quality of being novel, new, or unique; newness.
the novelty of a new job.
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a novel occurrence, experience, or proceeding.
His sarcastic witticisms had ceased being an entertaining novelty.
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an article of trade whose value is chiefly decorative, comic, or the like and whose appeal is often transitory.
a store catering to tourists who loaded up with souvenir pennants and other novelties.
adjective
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Textiles.
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(of a weave) consisting of a combination of basic weaves.
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(of a fabric or garment) having a pattern or design produced by a novelty weave.
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(of yarn) having irregularities within the fibrous structure.
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of or relating to novelties as articles of trade.
novelty goods; novelty items.
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having or displaying novelties.
novelty shop.
noun
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the quality of being new and fresh and interesting
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( as modifier )
novelty value
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a new or unusual experience or occurrence
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(often plural) a small usually cheap new toy, ornament, or trinket
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of novelty
1350–1400; Middle English novelte < Middle French novelete < Late Latin novellitās newness. See novel 2, -ity
Explanation
Novelty is a newness or refreshing quality. Many college freshmen enjoy the novelty of living on their own — until it comes time to do that first load of laundry. You'll often hear people talk about the novelty of a new experience — imagine the excitement and anticipation of cracking open a novel you’ve never read before to help remember the word. But novelty is also a term for a small toy or trinket, usually mass-produced. Novelty shops sell all kinds of funny knickknacks, from personalized flashlight key chains to stuffed singing hamsters.
Vocabulary lists containing novelty
Brand Spankin' New: Words with Neo- and Nov-
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "K" "L""M" and "N" and "O"
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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.
“There is clearly a shift from fitness tracker and fitness novelty to embedded health device,” said Shawn DuBravac, a futurist and former chief economist for the Consumer Technology Association.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
The first time I saw pickle lemonade on a menu at a local soda counter, I assumed it was one of those novelty tourist foods designed more for social media than actual enjoyment.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
Struggling movie theaters have turned to selling increasingly elaborate novelty popcorn buckets to increase fans’ concessions spending.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
People first embraced Grogu as a novelty, the latest in a line of cute, rascally critters going back to the Ewoks.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
To get presents at all must be a novelty to them, and of course they had lived under trees all their lives.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
