novelty

Novelty is the quality of being new, original, or unusual. It implies a departure from prior states, practices, or ideas and often carries an element of surprise or curiosity. In everyday language, novelty can describe both new experiences and objects that stand out because they differ from what is ordinary.

In commerce and culture, novelty items are products designed primarily to amuse, surprise, or delight. They are typically small, inexpensive, and ephemeral gifts or gag items rather than essential tools. Examples include novelty toys, joke gadgets, or commemorative trinkets meant to attract attention or mark occasions.

Psychology and neuroscience study novelty in relation to attention, learning, and motivation. Novel stimuli are more likely to capture attention and enhance encoding into memory. The brain often signals a prediction error when encountering novelty, engaging dopaminergic pathways and the brain's reward system. People who score high on novelty-seeking tend to explore unfamiliar environments and ideas, sometimes at the cost of stability.

In science and legal contexts, novelty refers to the quality of being new relative to existing knowledge. In science, a hypothesis or result is considered novel if it advances the field beyond current understanding. In patent law, novelty is a requirement: a claimed invention must be new and not anticipated by prior art.