novelty
noun
nov·el·ty
ˈnä-vəl-tē 
plural novelties
1
: something new or unusual
the novelty of a self-driving car
2
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
The crowd in New York on Saturday enjoyed the novelty of the spectacle.
—
Victor Mather Todd Heisler, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
While the characters and locations aren’t new, they are altered and placed into narratives that take inspiration from the source material but rarely ever directly adapt it, allowing fans and general audiences to both experience novelty.
—Richard Newby, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Clutching novelty red scissors, Chase Bowman and his family led a moment Fort Worth has been waiting years for: cutting the ribbon for the city’s first H-E-B. grocery store.
—Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Just as competitive as the original, this version is a fun modern spin, and everyone will love the novelty of using credit cards to complete transactions.
—Deanna McCormack, Parents, 19 Mar. 2024
In addition to touring the vehicle with your best grill friends, Kerr and another Oscar Mayer associate will hand out novelty merchandise.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Perhaps there was also a novelty to that game that made trekking back and forth less tedious.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The novelty and excitement of being able to browse and buy beautiful things that will soon arrive at your door held allure for a consumer accustomed to the immediate gratification of the internet age.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
For most of us, an entry-level or mid-level one will be more than enough to satisfy both the novelty of thermal shooting and the necessity of it, most likely in terms of population control for hogs and other such animals.
—Amanda Oliver, Field & Stream, 21 Mar. 2024
Victor Mather Todd Heisler, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
While the characters and locations aren’t new, they are altered and placed into narratives that take inspiration from the source material but rarely ever directly adapt it, allowing fans and general audiences to both experience novelty.
—Richard Newby, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Clutching novelty red scissors, Chase Bowman and his family led a moment Fort Worth has been waiting years for: cutting the ribbon for the city’s first H-E-B. grocery store.
—Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Just as competitive as the original, this version is a fun modern spin, and everyone will love the novelty of using credit cards to complete transactions.
—Deanna McCormack, Parents, 19 Mar. 2024
In addition to touring the vehicle with your best grill friends, Kerr and another Oscar Mayer associate will hand out novelty merchandise.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Perhaps there was also a novelty to that game that made trekking back and forth less tedious.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The novelty and excitement of being able to browse and buy beautiful things that will soon arrive at your door held allure for a consumer accustomed to the immediate gratification of the internet age.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
For most of us, an entry-level or mid-level one will be more than enough to satisfy both the novelty of thermal shooting and the necessity of it, most likely in terms of population control for hogs and other such animals.
—Amanda Oliver, Field & Stream, 21 Mar. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near novelty
Cite this Entry
“Novelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelty. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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