curiosity

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

|Updated on: 7 Jun 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

The biggest star is a girl whose face registers insane excitement and curiosity.

— sarah boxer, New York Times, "Weegee the Famous: The Master of Down-and-Dirty Street Photography," 1 June 2018
And now a moment of gratitude to my girl for swooping in and bringing her infectious joy and curiosity into our family, and for helping me learn how to be a mama.

— natalie stone, PEOPLE.com, "Parenthood's Erika Christensen Expecting Second Child," 31 May 2018
Zooey Deschanel is a lovingly understated vocalist, possessing a casual confidence that leant a sense of optimism to Belle — a handy trait in furthering to articulate Belle's curiosity into the history of her captor.

— todd martens, latimes.com, "Hollywood Bowl's 'Beauty and the Beast' highlights the enduring power of the film's music," 27 May 2018
Final: Brazil over Italy, 0-0 (Brazil won penalty shootout, 3-2) A generation before soccer games the world over could be found on multiple national TV networks, the game was still a bit of a curiosity when this World Cup was played in the U.S.

— jim reineking, USA TODAY, "Every FIFA World Cup champion: From 1930 Uruguay to 2014 Germany," 25 May 2018
Nathan Compton, 45, Indianapolis, and Tim Palmer, 46, Fishers, have put up signs for Primeval Brewing in the former storefront at 960 Logan St., sparking curiosity from passersby.

— chris sikich, Indianapolis Star, "Primeval Brewing to open European-style beer hall in Noblesville later this year," 23 May 2018
The evolution came about because of how fast the big cities were growing, along with local residents' curiosity for food concepts aside from traditional Chinese food to add variety in their diet.

— saleah blancaflor /, NBC News, "Can an American Chinese restaurant chain make it in China?," 21 May 2018
For every moment of excitement and curiosity, there are at least three others of me bracing myself for fallout that seems inevitable.

— rainesford stauffer, The Cut, "Why I Don’t Acknowledge My Relationships on Social Media," 17 May 2018
North, in fact, makes the case that a lack of curiosity on that score has been a secret of Jurek’s success.

— paul bisceglio, The Atlantic, "The Wisdom of Running a 2,189-Mile Marathon," 13 May 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.