English · Word Candidate

novelty

/ˈnɑvəlti/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: novelties

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The state of being new or novel; newness.

Noun

Examples

It was by no means pleasant to realize that there was an unknown number of menaces up there over your head, quietly circling and circling until someone should arrange for them to drop - and that there was nothing to be done about them. Still, life has to go on - and novelty is a wonderfully short-li

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A new product; an innovation.

Noun

Examples

Reconciling profound enquiry with clearness, and truth with novelty.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

In the design of a common household item, often impractically large, and meant primarily for display rather than functional use.

Adjective

Examples

My novelty calculator works fine but it hurts my hands to press the keys.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “novelty” mean?

The state of being new or novel; newness.

Is “novelty” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.