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 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
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 takeaway for date planning is that novelty matters more than expense. Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026 Only two years ago, AI felt a bit like a novelty in the beer industry. Em Sauter, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 But rental business owners like Zhao observed that the rental prices have begun to slide as novelty surrounding these stunt-performing androids fades. John Liu, CNN Money, 30 June 2026 Rather than chasing novelty, many brands focused on refining their identity through craftsmanship, quality and wearable products. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 29 June 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Novelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelty. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

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

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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