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 before another noun
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
Bakelite had been a novelty, but plastics in all their profusion became an addiction.
—
Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Although embedded in spectacle culture, these events occasionally presented the possibility of truly poetic clashes between languages and artistic traditions—what Glissant calls an éclat, collisions that create sparks of novelty.
—Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
Small and ominous-looking, the plants are commonly sold as novelties, and many a curious child (or adult) has triggered its sinister traps with a pencil to see its amazingly rapid response.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Take careful stock of single-purpose tools, small appliances, specialty gadgets, and novelty mugs.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for novelty
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Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Although embedded in spectacle culture, these events occasionally presented the possibility of truly poetic clashes between languages and artistic traditions—what Glissant calls an éclat, collisions that create sparks of novelty.
—Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
Small and ominous-looking, the plants are commonly sold as novelties, and many a curious child (or adult) has triggered its sinister traps with a pencil to see its amazingly rapid response.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Take careful stock of single-purpose tools, small appliances, specialty gadgets, and novelty mugs.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for novelty
Cite this Entry
“Novelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelty. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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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