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
To the reading public in Britain and historians around the world, Langley is something of a curiosity.
—
Amelia Nierenberg, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Expect lots of curiosity, lots of questions, and lots of exchange—maybe even an exhausting amount of talking in circles at times—in your pursuit of understanding.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Apr. 2024
The core of journalism remains curiosity, with its patient partner, humility.
—Nancy Gibbs, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
But in fashion — using Vivienne Westwood as his gateway drug — Valencia found it all: history, politics, nature, curiosity and, ultimately, freedom.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Some things, morbid curiosities: a bullet, freshly fired, spinning and melting the rubber on the track surrounding the school's football field.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024
None of these models are close to being anything other than mathematical curiosities but the Warp Factory provides new ways to understand them and leads to new insights into their nature.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, fueling an unprecedented interest in travel during the summer of 2024.
—Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
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
Amelia Nierenberg, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Expect lots of curiosity, lots of questions, and lots of exchange—maybe even an exhausting amount of talking in circles at times—in your pursuit of understanding.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Apr. 2024
The core of journalism remains curiosity, with its patient partner, humility.
—Nancy Gibbs, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
But in fashion — using Vivienne Westwood as his gateway drug — Valencia found it all: history, politics, nature, curiosity and, ultimately, freedom.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Some things, morbid curiosities: a bullet, freshly fired, spinning and melting the rubber on the track surrounding the school's football field.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024
None of these models are close to being anything other than mathematical curiosities but the Warp Factory provides new ways to understand them and leads to new insights into their nature.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, fueling an unprecedented interest in travel during the summer of 2024.
—Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
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
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 3 May. 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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