Oddity — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈä-də-tē/ odd·i·ty

Meaning & Definition of Oddity

Oddity (noun)

  1. an odd person, thing, event, or trait
  2. the quality or state of being odd

Oddity (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an odd or peculiar habit

    "his one oddity is collecting used pencil leads"

    similar: crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, idiosyncrasy, individualism, kink, mannerism, peculiarity, quiddity, quip, quirk, singularity, tic, trick, twist
    related: affectation, airs, attribute, characteristic, mark, property, trait, custom, habit, pattern, practice, way, wont, addiction, abnormality, neuroticism, perversion, weirdness, disposition, genius, leaning, partiality, bent, inclination, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn, attitude, character, humor, identity, individuality, nature, personality, temperament
    near: conformity, sameness

  2. something strange or unusual that is an object of interest

    "years ago circus sideshows used to display people with unusual physical features as oddities"

    similar: curio, curiosity, exotic, objet d'art, oddment, rarity
    related: found object, objet trouvé, curiosa, ephemera, virtu, marvel, prodigy, rara avis, rare bird, wonder, abnormality, anomaly, freak, monster, monstrosity, malformation, mutant, mutation

  3. something that is different from what is ordinary or expected

    "she is an oddity in that, unlike her sisters, she avoids social media"

    similar: aberration, abnormality, anomaly, exception, oddment, rarity
    related: curiosity, peculiarity, singularity, accident, bizarrerie, phenomenon, quirk, vagary, distortion, kink, mutation, variation, difference, disparity, inconsistence, inconsistency, error, mistake, contradiction, paradox
    near: norm, ordinary, usual

  4. a person of odd or whimsical habits

    "an oddity with a penchant for weaving cat fur"

    similar: character, codger, crack, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, flake, fruitcake, head case, kook, loon, loony, nut, nutcase, nutter (British slang), oddball, original, quiz, screwball, wacko, weirdo, zany, odd duck, piece of work
    related: bohemian, maverick, nonconformist, quixote, coot, geezer, curio, rarity, freak, fantast, fantastico
    near: conformer, conformist, follower, sheep

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Oddity

The most common words with a similar meaning to Oddity:

British slang: nutter
crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, idiosyncrasy, individualism, kink, mannerism, peculiarity, quiddity, quip, quirk, singularity, tic, trick, twist, curio, exotic, objet d'art, oddment, rarity, aberration, abnormality, anomaly, exception, character, codger, crack, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, flake, fruitcake, head case, kook, loon, loony, nut, nutcase

Related Words for Oddity

affectation, airs, attribute, characteristic, mark, property, trait, custom, habit, pattern, practice, way, wont, addiction, neuroticism, perversion, weirdness, disposition, genius, leaning, partiality, bent, inclination, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn

Near Antonyms of Oddity

conformity, sameness, norm, ordinary, usual, conformer, conformist, follower, sheep

Word Forms of Oddity

Inflections: oddities

Origin & Etymology of Oddity

First known use: 1713

Frequently Asked Questions about Oddity

What does "Oddity" mean?

"Oddity" means an odd person, thing, event, or trait. As a noun, it is defined as: an odd person, thing, event, or trait. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Oddity"?

Other words for "Oddity" include crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, idiosyncrasy, individualism, kink and mannerism. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Oddity" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Oddity"?

There are 125 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Oddity". Common alternatives include crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, idiosyncrasy, individualism, kink, mannerism, peculiarity and quiddity.

How do you use "Oddity" in a sentence?

Examples of "Oddity" in a sentence: "his one oddity is collecting used pencil leads"; "years ago circus sideshows used to display people with unusual physical features as oddities"; "she is an oddity in that, unlike her sisters, she avoids social media".

Is "Oddity" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Oddity" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Oddity"?

"Oddity" is pronounced /ˈä-də-tē/ and divided into syllables as odd·i·ty.

What is the origin of the word "Oddity"?

First known use: 1713.

What is another word for "Oddity" meaning "an odd or peculiar habit"?

When "Oddity" (noun) means an odd or peculiar habit, synonyms include crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, idiosyncrasy and individualism.