curiosity
noun
cu·ri·os·i·ty
ˌkyu̇r-ē-ˈä-s(ə-)tē 
ˌkyər-
plural curiosities
1
: desire to know:
a
: inquisitive interest in others' concerns : nosiness
The construction inside their house aroused the curiosity of their neighbors.
b
: interest leading to inquiry
intellectual curiosity
Her natural curiosity led her to ask more questions.
2
archaic
: undue nicety or fastidiousness
Examples of curiosity in a Sentence
Her natural curiosity led her to ask more questions.
The arrival of a construction crew at their house attracted the curiosity of their neighbors.
The movie failed to satisfy her curiosity about the assassination.
Tobacco was once a curiosity in Europe.
The antique shop was full of curiosities.
Recent Examples on the Web
The son of a Vietnamese woman and a French man who doesn’t claim him, he’s treated as an interloper by his countrymen and a curiosity by Americans.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
At 35, Perfetti radiates the same curiosity and enthusiasm Jacob would while wandering through the museum’s Dinosaur Hall.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
This eclipse may reveal areas where your voice or understanding has been stifled, urging you to seek healing through open dialogue and curiosity.
—Glamour, 8 Apr. 2024
Even making the current record was a crazy mix of fear, excitement, discovery, curiosity, passion — just everything.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024
David has imbued Larry with so much guilt, exceptionalism, cluelessness, terror, cowardice, innocence, avoidance, vindictive zeal, genuine curiosity and joie de vivre that the performance becomes what Larry loves: a buffet.
—Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Staying competitive requires an ability to adapt to rapidly evolving business norms, a sense of exploration and intellectual curiosity, and the willingness to keep up-to-speed on the latest innovations.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 5 Apr. 2024
The interest in the tournament goes beyond mere curiosity.
—Harry Enten, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Entertainment Add-Ons When dialing your design, be sure to lean into chickens’ inherent curiosity.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Judy Berman, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
At 35, Perfetti radiates the same curiosity and enthusiasm Jacob would while wandering through the museum’s Dinosaur Hall.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
This eclipse may reveal areas where your voice or understanding has been stifled, urging you to seek healing through open dialogue and curiosity.
—Glamour, 8 Apr. 2024
Even making the current record was a crazy mix of fear, excitement, discovery, curiosity, passion — just everything.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024
David has imbued Larry with so much guilt, exceptionalism, cluelessness, terror, cowardice, innocence, avoidance, vindictive zeal, genuine curiosity and joie de vivre that the performance becomes what Larry loves: a buffet.
—Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Staying competitive requires an ability to adapt to rapidly evolving business norms, a sense of exploration and intellectual curiosity, and the willingness to keep up-to-speed on the latest innovations.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 5 Apr. 2024
The interest in the tournament goes beyond mere curiosity.
—Harry Enten, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Entertainment Add-Ons When dialing your design, be sure to lean into chickens’ inherent curiosity.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curiosity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near curiosity
Cite this Entry
“Curiosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curiosity. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
curiosity
noun
cu·ri·os·i·ty
ˌkyu̇r-ē-ˈäs-ət-ē
plural curiosities
1
: an eager desire to learn and often to learn what does not concern one : inquisitiveness
2
a
: something strange or unusual
the curiosities of nature
b
: curio
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