oddity

noun

odd·​i·​ty ˈä-də-tē 

plural oddities

1

: an odd person, thing, event, or trait

2

: the quality or state of being odd

Synonyms

• trick
• quirk
• trait
• characteristic
• peculiarity
• idiosyncrasy
• mannerism
• eccentricity
• singularity

Examples of oddity in a Sentence

Her shyness makes her a bit of an oddity in the business world.

The zoo has such oddities as anteaters and platypuses.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some are different – evolutionary oddities that break the mold. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025

Today, a new generation of chefs is whipping up seasonally informed and culturally inflected variations, transforming the oddity into a full-fledged dessert genre. —Mehr Singh, Vogue, 31 July 2025

That being said, there are oddities and hidden gems worth checking out, whether to get a good laugh or find a new favorite novelty. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 31 July 2025

One-way puzzles were mathematical oddities that Khurana and Tomer had used in an intermediate step of their proof. —Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 25 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oddity

• commodity

Kids Definition

oddity

noun

odd·​i·​ty ˈäd-ət-ē 

plural oddities

1

: something odd

2

: the quality or state of being odd