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

• 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

Obviously, finding additional species from earlier in this group's history would help clarify just how much of an oddity Spicomellus was and could give us an improved picture of the trajectory of evolution of this group's distinctive features. —ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025

The New Yorker was known for its newsbreaks, which mocked other publications’ errors and oddities. —Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

For Michigan to continue landing the Underwoods of the world, the 2026 class needs to be an oddity and not a trend. —Austin Meek, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025

This is an oddity amid a warming climate, as the general pattern is that the world’s land areas are warming up more quickly than the oceans. —Chris Mooney, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025

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