originality

noun

orig·​i·​nal·​i·​ty ə-ˌri-jə-ˈna-lə-tē 

1

: the quality or state of being original

2

: freshness of aspect, design, or style

3

: the power of independent thought or constructive imagination

Synonyms

• novelty
• freshness
• newness

Examples of originality in a Sentence

Critics have praised the movie's startling originality.

I was amazed by the originality of her ideas.

Recent Examples on the Web

There was no real time to reflect on questions of originality or honesty—the student basically became a project manager. —Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 30 June 2025

The Thursday drops, the box logo, the collaborations, all reinforced this mythos of scarcity, exclusivity, and originality. —Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

One of the most useful among them is the AI detector, which helps owners maintain originality and avoid copyright issues. —Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025

Recipe entries were judged based on flavor, originality, taste and texture. —Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for originality

• bisexuality
• collegiality
• conditionality
• congeniality
• conventionality
• conviviality
• dimensionality
• directionality
• emotionality
• essentiality
• eventuality
• grammaticality

Kids Definition

originality

noun

orig·​i·​nal·​i·​ty ə-ˌrij-ə-ˈnal-ət-ē 

1

: the quality or state of being original : freshness

the originality of an idea

2

: the power or ability to think, act, or do something in new ways : creativity

an artist of great originality

Legal Definition

originality

noun

orig·​i·​nal·​i·​ty

: the quality or fact of being the product of individual creation that warrants copyright protection for a particular work regardless of novelty