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

• freshness
• newness
• 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

Truth be told, as welcome as the choice was to fans as a relative novelty, that opener was not one of the better selections of the night; their arrangement felt relatively sluggish, compared to probably any other version of the venerable rock standard any audience member has heard over the years. —Chris Willman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025

My thought bubble: As a coastal city dweller and SoCal transplant, seeing snow feels like a novelty that will never wear off. —Nadia Lopez, Axios, 19 Mar. 2025

Being the female president of a highly visible sports organization that has always coalesced around male leaders would be a novelty — and perhaps an attribute — but Coventry does not wish to be judged simply on her gender. —Blythe Lawrence, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

Convene in Covent Garden, drink and celebrate and mark a special moment that is still a novelty. —George Caulkin, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 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