novelty

noun

nov·​el·​ty ˈnä-vəl-tē How to pronounce novelty (audio)
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 advanceH. 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.

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 What Cassandro never does, however, is view its over-the-top hero as a campy joke or a novelty or a saint — all of which might have been the de facto route in the hands of other, less empathetic filmmakers. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2023 Back in 2009, Tavi Gevinson—a thirteen-year-old fashion prodigy with a blog called Style Rookie—was a novelty in the front rows of New York Fashion Week. The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023 The novelty was certainly on display, even on a rainy day that gives you the feeling there’s still more to show given the field conditions and a slick football. Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2023 Concerts are a novelty for some artists, which helps explain why scores of fans travel from all over the world to catch them performing live. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2023 In a novelty, Francis has allowed laypeople including women to have a vote alongside bishops on specific proposals that will be put forward for the pope’s consideration. Nicole Winfield, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Sep. 2023 The novelty of the rotary knob/display combination is fun and catches your attention, but its limited customization keeps it as more of an aesthetic gimmick than a useful tool like the Logitech Craft's dial. PCMAG, 15 Sep. 2023 Texas residents may be asked to conserve again during the eclipse, and the novelty of the event could help overcome grid alert fatigue amid a summer of near-record heat for the state. Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2023 Opened in May 2021, the 200-room property has a feeling of novelty paired with an unequivocal sense of place. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'novelty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of novelty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near novelty

Cite this Entry

“Novelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelty. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

novelty

noun
nov·​el·​ty ˈnäv-əl-tē How to pronounce novelty (audio)
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 How to pronounce novelty (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on novelty

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