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
What was once a niche novelty has exploded into a pervasive and alarming threat.
—
Steven Smith, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Back then, Newcastle shovelled eight goals past Sheffield United, beat Manchester City when that was still a novelty, and got the better of Burnley before the perennial champions of France came to Tyneside and tasted bitter humiliation.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
The initial novelty wears off, and the real work begins.
—Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
These sorts of gimmicks and novelties don’t tend to have long shelf lives.
—Brendan Menapace, SPIN, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for novelty 
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Steven Smith, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Back then, Newcastle shovelled eight goals past Sheffield United, beat Manchester City when that was still a novelty, and got the better of Burnley before the perennial champions of France came to Tyneside and tasted bitter humiliation.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
The initial novelty wears off, and the real work begins.
—Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
These sorts of gimmicks and novelties don’t tend to have long shelf lives.
—Brendan Menapace, SPIN, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for novelty
Dictionary Entries Near novelty
Cite this Entry
“Novelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelty. Accessed 7 Jan. 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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