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 attributively
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
Breton’s victory can partially be attributed to the relative novelty of his project (which transplanted Freud from the clinic to the gallery), in contrast to Goll’s vaguer claims to radical change.
—
Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Cast at center the majority of his career, the 3-pointer largely was novelty, as can be the case with many centers.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2025
Noyes also skied the Great White Icicle—a popular ice climb that is in the book as a novelty and is often skied on rappel—on snowblades at night.
—Jake Stern, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2025
There was a novelty to the setting but not so much the Predator itself.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novelty
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Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Cast at center the majority of his career, the 3-pointer largely was novelty, as can be the case with many centers.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2025
Noyes also skied the Great White Icicle—a popular ice climb that is in the book as a novelty and is often skied on rappel—on snowblades at night.
—Jake Stern, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2025
There was a novelty to the setting but not so much the Predator itself.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novelty
Cite this Entry
“Novelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelty. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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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