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.
See Examples For:
It leaned on new products like novelty sugary drinks and limited-offer items like S’mores beverages that resonated “particularly well” with Gen Z customers, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
According to Trujillo, the device was not an actual taser but a “buzzer thing from a novelty shop.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"The novelty of this study came from the analysis of color changes of organic microfossils," explains Dr. Bas van de Schootbrugge from Utrecht University, a senior author on the paper.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
With Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party all declining to take part, journalistic duty and curiosity led to a spot of scrutiny about a novelty candidate who says he will.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Essentially they were those who had not adapted themselves to what had once been called the Atomic Age, in the days when atoms were a novelty.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
These two stories might seem like unrelated novelties — a viral toy and a tech-bro flex from a provincial government.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Like every year, robots are a major presence at CES, with companies hoping they will break into the mainstream as useful devices instead of novelties.
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026
Youn sells mostly kitchenwares and other novelties, including ceramic teapots made in Korea and bird boxes handcrafted in France.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2025
Dr Jack Brown, lecturer at King's College London described the books as "wonderful... historical novelties".
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2024
He was astonished to find himself on his feet, intact, bobbing like one of those toy novelties dangling from car windows, but erect.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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.
