oddity
B2formal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
A person, thing, or event that is strange, unusual, or peculiar.
The quality or state of being strange or unusual; also, a distinctive or unique characteristic.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can refer to both concrete entities (a strange person/object) and abstract qualities (the strangeness itself). Often implies mild eccentricity rather than alarming strangeness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Slightly more formal and descriptive in British English; can have a slightly more affectionate nuance when describing people (e.g., "He's a bit of an oddity, but we're fond of him").
Frequency
Used with comparable frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
an oddity of + NOUN (e.g., an oddity of the system)oddity + that-CLAUSE (e.g., The oddity is that he never complained.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a law unto oneself (related concept for a person who is an oddity)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used; might describe an anomaly in data or market behavior: 'This sales spike is a statistical oddity.'
Academic
Used to describe atypical phenomena or data points in research: 'The fossil represents an oddity in the evolutionary record.'
Everyday
Used for strange people, objects, or situations: 'That old house with the tower is a local oddity.'
Technical
Used in computing, statistics, and science for outliers or anomalies.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not applicable; 'oddity' is a noun.
American English
- Not applicable; 'oddity' is a noun.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable; the adverb form is 'oddly'.
American English
- Not applicable; the adverb form is 'oddly'.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable; the adjective form is 'odd'.
American English
- Not applicable; the adjective form is 'odd'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The blue cat is an oddity.
- He collects oddities.
- It's an oddity that she doesn't like chocolate.
- The museum had many strange oddities.
- His refusal to use a mobile phone is seen as an oddity by his colleagues.
- The town is famous for its architectural oddity, a church built upside down.
- The main oddity of the treaty was its lack of an enforcement mechanism.
- Despite being a linguistic oddity, the phrase is widely understood.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine ODD + ITY. Something ODD has the quality (-ITY) of being strange.
Conceptual Metaphor
DEVIATION FROM A NORM IS A PATH (e.g., 'He's gone off on his own oddity.')
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating 'oddity' as 'странность' in all contexts; for a strange person, 'чудак' or 'оригинал' might be closer. For an unusual thing/feature, 'необычность' or 'особенность' can be used.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'oddity' (noun) with 'odd' (adjective). 'He is an odd' is incorrect; use 'He is odd' or 'He is an oddity.'
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes an 'oddity' in a dataset?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. It is descriptive and often neutral, sometimes even affectionate when referring to people.
'Oddity' typically refers to a specific strange thing or person, while 'oddness' refers to the abstract quality of being strange.
Yes, it is appropriate for formal and academic contexts, especially when describing anomalies or peculiarities.
No, 'oddity' is only a noun. The related adjective is 'odd' and the verb is 'to oddify' (extremely rare and non-standard).