novelty

noun

nov·​el·​ty ˈnä-vəl-tē 

plural novelties

1

: something new or unusual

the novelty of a self-driving car

2

: the quality or state of being novel : newness

an uncritical acceptance of novelty as advance

—H. M. Jones

A toy's novelty soon wears off.

3

: a small manufactured article intended mainly for personal or household adornment

—usually used in plural

Disney novelties filled the shelves.

4

: something (such as a song or food item) that provides often fleeting amusement and is often based on a theme

—often used attributively

The movie included a few novelty songs.

Synonyms

• freshness
• newness
• originality

Examples of novelty in a Sentence

the novelty of space exploration

Electric-powered cars are still novelties.

Eating shark meat is a novelty to many people.

Recent Examples on the Web

Breton’s victory can partially be attributed to the relative novelty of his project (which transplanted Freud from the clinic to the gallery), in contrast to Goll’s vaguer claims to radical change. —Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Cast at center the majority of his career, the 3-pointer largely was novelty, as can be the case with many centers. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2025

Noyes also skied the Great White Icicle—a popular ice climb that is in the book as a novelty and is often skied on rappel—on snowblades at night. —Jake Stern, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2025

There was a novelty to the setting but not so much the Predator itself. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English novelte, borrowed from Anglo-French novelté, from novel "new, novel entry 1" + -té -ty

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing novelty

• the novelty wears off

Kids Definition

novelty

noun

nov·​el·​ty ˈnäv-əl-tē 

plural novelties

1

: something new or unusual

2

: the quality or state of being novel : newness

3

: a small article intended mainly as an unusual ornament or toy

—usually used in plural

Legal Definition

novelty

noun

nov·​el·​ty ˈnä-vəl-tē 

plural novelties

: the quality or state of being new : quality of being different from anything in prior existence

satisfied the requirement of novelty for a patent on the design