novelty
NOV-ul-tee
/ˈnɒvəlti/
The quality of being new, original, or unusual; a small, inexpensive toy or trinket.
Primarily refers to the freshness or originality of something. The 'trinket' meaning is secondary and context-dependent.
The story behind the word. The word 'novelty' comes from the Old French 'novellete', which meant 'newness, freshness'. This, in turn, derived from the Latin 'novellus', a diminutive of 'novus', meaning 'new'. So, 'novelty' directly carries the sense of being new, fresh, or unusual, reflecting its ancient root.
Word relationships
- originality: Emphasizes uniqueness and not being derived from anything else.
- freshness: Suggests being new and untainted by prior use or ideas.
- uniqueness: The quality of being the only one of its kind.
- familiarity: The state of being well known or recognized.
- commonplace: Something ordinary or unoriginal.
- triteness: The quality of being overused and consequently lacking originality.
Commonly confused with
- innovation: An 'innovation' is a new method or idea (the thing itself); 'novelty' is the quality of being new or original.
Word family
- novel (adjective): New and not resembling something formerly known or used.
Collocations
- sheer novelty
- novelty value
- novelty item
- lose its novelty
Example sentences
- "The novelty of the virtual reality headset quickly wore off for some users once the initial excitement faded." Discussing consumer appeal.
- "Her proposal was praised for its sheer novelty and bold approach to a long-standing problem." Referring to a new idea.
Memory hook
Think of a 'NOVEL-ty' as something so 'NOVEL' (new and original) it's a 'ty' (type) of its own. NOVELTY = newness.
When not to use
Do not use 'novelty' if something is merely different but not genuinely new or original. Also, be clear from context if you mean 'newness' or 'a trinket'.
Fun facts
- The 'novelty item' meaning of the word became popular in the 19th century.
- Humans often seek novelty, which is a driving force behind exploration and innovation.
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