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
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
Petit, however, would be more than simply a curiosity with an outlier physique.
—
Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
This message is sent deep inside the brain to the amygdala, a tiny bundle of nerves that serves as our chief arbiter of curiosity and avoidance.
—Julia Daye, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
Seeds reveal curiosity long before retail sales do.
—Sara Payan, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2025
In this Lost Women of Science conversation, Bellows and Hafner talk about their favorite female scientists and explain how these women’s grit and determination can inspire curiosity in the next generation of young female (and male) scientists.
—Gabriela Saldivia, Scientific American, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for curiosity
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Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
This message is sent deep inside the brain to the amygdala, a tiny bundle of nerves that serves as our chief arbiter of curiosity and avoidance.
—Julia Daye, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
Seeds reveal curiosity long before retail sales do.
—Sara Payan, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2025
In this Lost Women of Science conversation, Bellows and Hafner talk about their favorite female scientists and explain how these women’s grit and determination can inspire curiosity in the next generation of young female (and male) scientists.
—Gabriela Saldivia, Scientific American, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for curiosity
Cite this Entry
“Curiosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curiosity. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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