novelty
noun
nov·el·ty
ˈnä-vəl-tē 
plural novelties
1
: something new or unusual
the novelty of a self-driving car
2
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 before another noun
The movie included a few novelty songs.
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
But because the public has not been taught this history, the moment is misread as novelty rather than continuity.
—
Carol L. Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Matthew Berry, Jay Croucher and Connor Rogers share how bettors can get involved with Super Bowl 60 novelty props, with looks at DraftKings Sportsbook's markets beyond regular player props.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Friday is 2/6/26, a pleasingly symmetrical series of numbers that has been sadly left out of the pantheon of novelty dates.
—Holly J. Morris, NPR, 6 Feb. 2026
The act does allow novelty items such as sparklers, which are sticks of magnesium burning at up to 3,000 degrees.
—Brad Weisenstein, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for novelty
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Carol L. Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Matthew Berry, Jay Croucher and Connor Rogers share how bettors can get involved with Super Bowl 60 novelty props, with looks at DraftKings Sportsbook's markets beyond regular player props.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Friday is 2/6/26, a pleasingly symmetrical series of numbers that has been sadly left out of the pantheon of novelty dates.
—Holly J. Morris, NPR, 6 Feb. 2026
The act does allow novelty items such as sparklers, which are sticks of magnesium burning at up to 3,000 degrees.
—Brad Weisenstein, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for novelty
Cite this Entry
“Novelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelty. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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