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

Early iterations seemed more like novelty acts than transformative tools. —Cory McNeley, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

What started out as a novelty race is now a surprisingly popular way of testing your limits—which makes the format intriguing to scientists seeking to understand what defines those limits. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 4 Nov. 2024

Those novelty records inspired me to write comedy songs and put that in my comedy act. —Steve Appleford, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2024

Respondents gave the lowest ratings for living rooms and novelty backdrops (example: a walrus in front of an iceberg). —thehustle.co, 1 Nov. 2024

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