curiosity

noun cu·ri·os·i·ty \ ˌkyu̇r-ē-ˈä-s(ə-)tē , ˌkyər- \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Examples: curiosity in a Sentence

Definition of curiosity

plural curiosities

1 : desire to know:

a : inquisitive interest in others' concerns : nosiness

The construction inside their house aroused the curiosity of their neighbors.

b : interest leading to inquiry

intellectual curiosity

Her natural curiosity led her to ask more questions.

2 archaic : undue nicety or fastidiousness

3 a : one that arouses interest especially for uncommon or exotic characteristics

Tobacco was once regarded as a curiosity in Europe.

b : an unusual knickknack : curio

The antique shop was full of curiosities.

c : a curious trait or aspect

See curiosity defined for English-language learners

See curiosity defined for kids

Examples of curiosity in a Sentence

Her natural curiosity led her to ask more questions.
The arrival of a construction crew at their house attracted the curiosity of their neighbors.
The movie failed to satisfy her curiosity about the assassination.
Tobacco was once a curiosity in Europe.
The antique shop was full of curiosities.

Recent Examples of curiosity from the Web

There’s definitely that undertone in a lot of the Alien movies about messing with things and paying the price, albeit more often because of capitalism than curiosity.

— patricia hernandez, The Verge, "26 arguments for and against opening Egypt’s new mystery sarcophagus," 11 July 2018
Encouraging a confidence and curiosity to explore those things is just really key.

— gabby salazar, National Geographic, "Where Women Must Defy the Odds to Become Scientists," 12 June 2018
Pollan’s curiosity even sends him on a few illicit trips.

— time staff, Time, "Best Nonfiction Books of 2018 So Far," 11 June 2018
Upon his father’s death in 1562, Basilius Amerbach inherited an eclectic collection of curiosities.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "Researchers Unlock Secrets of Basel Papyrus," 13 July 2018
The picture excited Grande's fans and also sparked curiosity as to why the picture was posted now, and whether the pic is from a prior event or was taken recently.

— connor whittum, Billboard, "Ariana Grande Posts Cryptic Thank You Note to Madonna & Fans Have Theories," 11 July 2018
The largest source of suspicion and curiosity is, again, Manafort.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Will Trump Be Meeting With His Counterpart — Or His Handler?," 8 July 2018
Wong: Characters like Arthie and Yoyo are getting to have this burgeoning relationship of love and curiosity.

— mike bloom, The Hollywood Reporter, "'GLOW' Stars Wrestle With Inclusion and Satire Through Stereotypes," 5 July 2018
Conflict, conspiracy, curiosity and chaos all arise in Villareal’s debut novel.

— jocelyn mcclurg, USA TODAY, "Weekend picks for book lovers, including 'A People's History of the Vampire Uprising'," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'curiosity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.