oddity

noun

odd·​i·​ty ˈä-də-tē 

plural oddities

1

: an odd person, thing, event, or trait

2

: the quality or state of being odd

Synonyms of oddity

• trick
• quirk
• trait
• characteristic
• peculiarity
• idiosyncrasy
• mannerism
• eccentricity
• singularity

Examples of oddity in a Sentence

Her shyness makes her a bit of an oddity in the business world.

The zoo has such oddities as anteaters and platypuses.

Recent Examples on the Web

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

The popular national chain of gas stations and convenience stores agreed to settle a lawsuit with an oddities store outside Winter Park earlier this year over a collection of merchandise parodying the company’s iconic, bucktoothed logo. — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 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

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oddity

• commodity

Kids Definition

oddity

noun

odd·​i·​ty ˈäd-ət-ē 

plural oddities

1

: something odd

2

: the quality or state of being odd