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oddity

noun

ˈä-də-tē How to pronounce oddity (audio)
Definition of odditynext
1
as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit his one oddity is collecting used pencil leads

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2
as in rarity
something strange or unusual that is an object of interest years ago circus sideshows used to display people with unusual physical features as oddities

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3
as in anomaly
something that is different from what is ordinary or expected she is an oddity in that, unlike her sisters, she avoids social media

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4
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits an oddity with a penchant for weaving cat fur

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oddity The fact that both races are on this year’s ballot is an oddity in itself. — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 For a fundamental particle such as the muon, that would be far more than an oddity. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026 Here are some of our favourite museum oddities across the country. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 13 Aug. 2026 And plenty of fans now are — but during the production in Boston, the sheer oddity of the show seemed potentially limiting. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oddity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oddity
  1. trick
  2. rarity
  3. anomaly
  4. eccentric
  5. quirk
  6. exception
  7. character
  8. trait
Noun
  • My father was the man of tricks, who sat for an hour mining a watermelon with a circular spoon, who carved the rind into a castle.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Teoxane that pulls a bit of a magic trick; metallic and foil eye shadow sticks with a magnetic design from Danessa Myricks Beauty; and a new way to perform one of plastic surgery’s most popular procedures, breast augmentation, from Motiva.
    — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • For his latest fashion comeback, Van Assche returned to his historic Belgian production partner Gysemans BVBA, though his new collection is realized with only deadstock fabrics, meaning smaller quantities and a sense of rarity.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Whittingham suggested Michigan might have leaned too heavily on the rhino against Western Michigan, but that position is going to be a staple of Beck’s offense, meaning targets for tight ends might be more of a rarity.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of rarity
Noun
  • The report attributed the anomaly to a strong Arctic winter vortex in January and February 2025.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Reatil and quick-service restaurants can audit drive-thru bottlenecks, analyze foot traffic and flag point-of-sale (POS) anomalies.
    — Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of anomaly
Noun
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.
    — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of eccentric
Noun
  • Welcome to The Athletic’s data notebook, a periodic look at the key trends, standout figures and tactical quirks shaping the Premier League season.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Fraying friendship Thanks to a geographic quirk, Louis Patenaude’s freight business straddles the border between the US and Canada.
    — Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of quirk
Noun
  • To maintain eligibility, households consisting entirely of full-time students may be required to provide documentation to their property manager demonstrating that at least one of the above exceptions is met.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • What’s overlooked is that the Heat will have three of its next four first-round draft picks and preserved the ability to use its full $16 million midlevel exception next summer.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of exception
Noun
  • However, the irregular architecture, surviving wooden beams, and 15th-century chapel lend certain spaces genuine local character.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Those scenes play as if the screenwriters gave up on trying to resolve the twisty plot, instead just making their characters tell all, leaving the film’s denouement much less engrossing than its setup.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of character
Noun
  • Willis already has demonstrated the necessary leadership traits to be a franchise quarterback, something that often requires one to consistently fall on the sword — even if the very failure did not remotely involve you.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
  • However, because individual plants may not display every characteristic, identify it by several features rather than height or any single trait.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of trait

Browse Nearby Words

oddities
oddity
oddly
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Cite this Entry

“Oddity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oddity. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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