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

Since May 2024, Jupiter has been in your zone of one-on-one bonds, teaching you how to hold space for autonomy and connection, novelty and predictability, privacy and self-disclosure. —Colin Bedell, Them., 22 May 2025

Where the film gets a little chewier, moving out of enjoyable novelty into something deeper, is in using this context to explore the dynamics of appeasing an oppressor. —Catherine Bray, Variety, 21 May 2025

Now there’s more of a premium on novelty and the unexpected. —Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 20 May 2025

When a platform’s success metrics prioritize quantity and novelty over quality and longevity, the incentives for nurturing writers and investing in story development diminish. —Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 20 May 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