novelty

noun

nov·​el·​ty ˈnä-vəl-tē How to pronounce novelty (audio)
plural novelties
Synonyms of novelty
1
: something new or unusual
the novelty of a self-driving car
2
: the quality or state of being novel : newness
… a general 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 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 before another noun
The movie included a few novelty songs.

Synonyms of novelty

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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
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.
The general trivia and straight clues are also tough, and there’s a good amount of novelty, including 11 debut entries, a few oddballs among them, and one utterly brutal misdirect that significantly spiced up my solving experience. — Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2026 That difference is now proving itself in luxury real estate, where the quality of the experience determines whether surf is a fleeting novelty or an anchor with staying power. — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026 But now that internet novelty has calmed down over the last decade or so, people don't use it as much. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 But the novelty of the move — Ohtani only took batting practice on the field a few times during the regular season, always in the midst of a slump — had yet to fully wear off. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for novelty

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of novelty was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing novelty

Browse Nearby Words

novel news
novelty
novelty siding
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Novelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelty. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

novelty

noun
nov·​el·​ty ˈnäv-əl-tē How to pronounce novelty (audio)
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 How to pronounce novelty (audio)
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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