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

• newness
• innovation
• freshness
• 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

What seems like a novelty might actually be one of the simplest, most accessible ways to move better and hurt less. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025

Barring a late season storm, Duarte and Palazon expect the prices to hold steady, maybe even drop a little, as the first-month fever and novelty dies down. —Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025

In addition to adrenaline rushes and novelty pleasures, haunted houses also create connection between visitors. —Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025

But in the end, even with the novelty of some notably different sonic touches, no one will consider this a Producer’s Album. —Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 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