curiosity

noun

cu·​ri·​os·​i·​ty ˌkyu̇r-ē-ˈä-s(ə-)tē 

ˌkyər-

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

Synonyms of curiosity

• concern
• questioning
• inquisitiveness
• interest
• curiousness

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 on the Web

It has been visited as a curiosity for decades, and it can be seen online in dozens of photos taken during different seasons by passers-through. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

That is a curiosity when the topic is which chatbot writes a better limerick. — Puneet Gaur, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

But by late 1965, the Beatles, after having traveled the world and gaining new experiences and a curiosity for new sounds, were now the ones steering the direction of their albums. — Charles Moss, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026

Groh recommends booking a scan out of raw curiosity rather than a frantic search for safety. — Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see curious

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for curiosity

• atrocity
• ferocity
• monstrosity
• pomposity
• porosity
• precocity
• schistosity
• velocity
• verbosity
• viscosity
• animosity
• generosity

Kids Definition

curiosity

noun

cu·​ri·​os·​i·​ty ˌkyu̇r-ē-ˈäs-ət-ē 

plural curiosities

1

: an eager desire to learn and often to learn what does not concern one : inquisitiveness

2

a

: something strange or unusual

the curiosities of nature

b

: curio