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
This year’s novelties included the first new collection from Rolex since 2012, the debut of the world’s most complicated wristwatch by Vacheron Constantin and more.
—
Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Create novelty by rotating toys Cats can get bored with their toys.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
Every Record Store Day should have at least one useless but irresistible novelty like this… and the fact that the music’s good (mixed by Steven Wilson!) is gravy.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2025
Outside of Matthews’ single shot, the most exciting chance the line created was an out-of-character clapper from Marner off the rush that was more of a novelty than a high-danger look.
—Nick Ashbourne, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novelty
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.
Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Create novelty by rotating toys Cats can get bored with their toys.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
Every Record Store Day should have at least one useless but irresistible novelty like this… and the fact that the music’s good (mixed by Steven Wilson!) is gravy.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2025
Outside of Matthews’ single shot, the most exciting chance the line created was an out-of-character clapper from Marner off the rush that was more of a novelty than a high-danger look.
—Nick Ashbourne, New York Times, 9 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 22 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share