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novelty

/ˈnɑvəlti/
/ˈnɒvəlti/
IPA guide

Other forms: novelties

Novelty is a newness or refreshing quality. Many college freshmen enjoy the novelty of living on their own — until it comes time to do that first load of laundry.

You'll often hear people talk about the novelty of a new experience — imagine the excitement and anticipation of cracking open a novel you’ve never read before to help remember the word. But novelty is also a term for a small toy or trinket, usually mass-produced. Novelty shops sell all kinds of funny knickknacks, from personalized flashlight key chains to stuffed singing hamsters.

Definitions of novelty
  1. noun
    originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel
    synonyms: freshness
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    type of:
    originality
    the quality of being new and original (not derived from something else)
  2. noun
    originality by virtue of being new and surprising
    synonyms: freshness
    see moresee less
    type of:
    originality
    the ability to think and act independently
  3. noun
    a small inexpensive mass-produced article
    synonyms: knickknack
    see moresee less
    type of:
    article
    one of a class of artifacts
  4. noun
    cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
    see moresee less
    type of:
    adornment
    a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness
Pronunciation
US
/ˈnɑvəlti/
UK
/ˈnɒvəlti/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘novelty'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of gold-punch.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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