oddity

noun

odd·​i·​ty ˈä-də-tē 

plural oddities

1

: an odd person, thing, event, or trait

2

: the quality or state of being odd

Synonyms of oddity

• trick
• quirk
• trait
• characteristic
• peculiarity
• idiosyncrasy
• mannerism
• eccentricity
• singularity

Examples of oddity in a Sentence

Her shyness makes her a bit of an oddity in the business world.

The zoo has such oddities as anteaters and platypuses.

Recent Examples on the Web

This peculiar group has evolved an astonishing array of survival strategies, superpowers, and oddities. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026

Meanwhile, here are a few more pieces of trivia, oddities and curiosities coming out of the 2026 Emmy nominations. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 July 2026

Adding to the oddity, the man told the surgeons that this had actually happened to him before, according to a case report in the New England Journal of Medicine. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

In The Beauty, Ryan Murphy and co-creator Matthew Hodgson have concocted a genre-hopping oddity that sounds unlikely to work. — Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oddity

• commodity

Kids Definition

oddity

noun

odd·​i·​ty ˈäd-ət-ē 

plural oddities

1

: something odd

2

: the quality or state of being odd