originality
noun
orig·i·nal·i·ty ə-ˌri-jə-ˈna-lə-tē 
1
: the quality or state of being original
2
: freshness of aspect, design, or style
3
: the power of independent thought or constructive imagination
Synonyms
- freshness
- newness
- novelty
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Critics have praised the movie's startling originality. I was amazed by the originality of her ideas.
Recent Examples on the Web Mandel criticized the lack of originality in Williams’ performance. 
Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2022 But there are certainly glimmers of hope out there for the forces of originality to prevail. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Aug. 2022 These characters are strange amalgams of limited agency and boundless originality. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Streep and Corden wallowed in Broadway cliches, sometimes deliciously, every now and again riotously, but rarely if ever with truthful originality. Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2022 Darrow received royalties throughout his lifetime from the Parker Brothers edition, and Magie was paid $500 for the rights of The Landlord’s Game to preserve Monopoly’s originality. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2022 So much for the quest to pursue absolute originality. Amanda Arnold, Bon Appétit, 23 June 2022 Laying the groundwork for a thriving online community can be as simple as creating space for conversation, designing an inviting website, and choosing a domain name that communicates shared values and demonstrates originality. Akram Atallah, Forbes, 15 June 2022 It’s the kind of dilemma that gets extra points for narrative originality. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 June 2022 See More
Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2022 But there are certainly glimmers of hope out there for the forces of originality to prevail. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Aug. 2022 These characters are strange amalgams of limited agency and boundless originality. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Streep and Corden wallowed in Broadway cliches, sometimes deliciously, every now and again riotously, but rarely if ever with truthful originality. Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2022 Darrow received royalties throughout his lifetime from the Parker Brothers edition, and Magie was paid $500 for the rights of The Landlord’s Game to preserve Monopoly’s originality. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2022 So much for the quest to pursue absolute originality. Amanda Arnold, Bon Appétit, 23 June 2022 Laying the groundwork for a thriving online community can be as simple as creating space for conversation, designing an inviting website, and choosing a domain name that communicates shared values and demonstrates originality. Akram Atallah, Forbes, 15 June 2022 It’s the kind of dilemma that gets extra points for narrative originality. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 June 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1742, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
originality
noun
orig·i·nal·i·ty ə-ˌri-jə-ˈna-lə-tē
: the quality or state of being creative or new and different
Legal Definition
originality
noun
orig·i·nal·i·ty
: the quality or fact of being the product of individual creation that warrants copyright protection for a particular work regardless of novelty
originality
noun
1
as in novelty
the quality or appeal of being new the originality of the war memorial sparked a heated controversy, as most people had been expecting something more traditional Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- novelty
- freshness
- newness
- innovation
- trendiness
- hipness
- unusualness
- progressiveness
- bizarreness
- unfamiliarity
- strangeness
- recentness
- currentness
- departure
- divergence
- up-to-dateness
- shoot
- offshoot
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- familiarity
- banality
- commonness
- staleness
- outdatedness
2
as in creativity
the skill and imagination to create new things a poet of great originality, she brought a whole new range of subject matter and imagery to poetry Synonyms & Similar Words
- creativity
- creativeness
- imagination
- innovativeness
- ingenuity
- inventiveness
- talent
- imaginativeness
- ingeniousness
- cleverness
- resourcefulness
- productivity
- productiveness
- invention
- fecundity
- prolificness
- fruitfulness
- capableness
- prolificity
- fertility
- prolificacy
- giftedness
- genius
- inspiration
- muse
- fire
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dullness
- dryness
- dulness
3
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others a graphic novel that shows a lot of originality on the part of its creator Synonyms & Similar Words
- creativity
- imagination
- imaginativeness
- inventiveness
- fertility
- ideation
- resourcefulness
- invention
- fantasy
- ingenuity
- phantasy
- contrivance
- fancy
- versatility
- inspiration
- fecundity
- brainstorming
- illusion
- brainstorm
- dream
- mirage
- delusion
- pipe dream
- chimera
- daydream
- figment
- fantasm
- visualization
- hallucination
- phantasm
- envisaging
- mind's eye
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- literalness
- literality