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

… 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 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.

Synonyms of novelty

• newness
• innovation
• freshness
• 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

Perhaps the use of fish-eye lensing loses its novelty and the exotic camera angles occasionally feel more about showing off than taking us inside the story. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026

Among the novelties in this edition, which lured close to 11,000 in both festival and industry events, were outdoor screenings, out of competition screenings and an extension to the capital of Bogotá which will showcase some nine Alternativa participants. —Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 3 May 2026

Decadence is nostalgia, also the pursuit of novelty. —Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026

The novelty was surprising to many—even though it was predicted by some analysts—because the strait was always off limits in previous Middle Eastern conflicts. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 2 May 2026

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