novelty

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noun nov·el·ty \ˈnä-vəl-tē\

: the quality or state of being new, different, and interesting

: something that is new or unusual : something novel

: something unusual and entertaining that is popular for a short period of time

plural nov·el·ties

Full Definition of NOVELTY

1

:  something new or unusual

2

:  the quality or state of being novel :  newness

3

:  a small manufactured article intended mainly for personal or household adornment —usually used in plural

4

:  something (as a song or food item) that provides often fleeting amusement and is often based on a theme —often used attributively

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Examples of NOVELTY

1. the novelty of space exploration
2. Electric-powered cars are still novelties.
3. Eating shark meat is a novelty to many people.

Origin of NOVELTY

Middle English novelte, from Anglo-French novelté, from novel

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to NOVELTY

Synonyms

freshness, newness, originality

Related Words

hipness, trendiness; bizarreness, strangeness, unfamiliarity, unusualness; progressiveness; currentness, recentness, up-to-dateness; departure, divergence, innovation, offshoot, shoot

Near Antonyms

banality, commonness, familiarity; outdatedness, staleness

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite