oddity

noun

odd·​i·​ty ˈä-də-tē How to pronounce oddity (audio)
plural oddities
Synonyms of odditynext
1
: an odd person, thing, event, or trait
2
: the quality or state of being odd

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
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Three years later, the American players have agreed, stacking the roster with stars like Judge and Harper, kids like Pete Crow-Armstrong, vets like Kyle Schwarber and Big Dumpers named Cal Raleigh, all transforming this occasional baseball oddity into must-see TV. Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026 The first time was a bit of an oddity, though. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2026 These songs are built around classic R&B and doo-wop elements, including samples of Hollywood oddities the Lewis Sisters. Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026 From biological hosts like gut bacteria and pregnancy tests to digital oddities like blockchains and PDFs, the game’s presence on everything from robot mowers to anti-bot CAPTCHA highlights its status as the ultimate benchmark for system versatility. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddity

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of oddity was in 1713

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Cite this Entry

“Oddity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oddity. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

oddity

noun
odd·​i·​ty ˈäd-ət-ē How to pronounce oddity (audio)
plural oddities
1
: something odd
2
: the quality or state of being odd

More from Merriam-Webster on oddity

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