curiosity

[ kyoor-ee-os-i-tee ]

noun

, plural cu·ri·os·i·ties.

1. the desire to learn or know about anything; inquisitiveness:

   The lesson provoked their curiosity about the natural world.

   She feels that tolerance is fed by knowledge, an open mind, and curiosity about others.

2. a curious, rare, or novel thing:

   Exhibits on display will include such curiosities as preserved smells, infrared briefcases, and cameras hidden in coats.

3. a strange, curious, or interesting quality or feature:

   How bankers from Nova Scotia set up in the Caribbean in the 1880s is a curiosity of financial history.

   One of the human brain's many curiosities is its tendency to see faces in abstract shapes.

4. Archaic. carefulness; fastidiousness.

curiosity

/ ˌkjʊərɪˈɒsɪtɪ /

noun

1. an eager desire to know; inquisitiveness
2. 1. the quality of being curious; strangeness
   2. ( as modifier )

      the ring had curiosity value only

3. something strange or fascinating
4. a rare or strange object; curio
5. obsolete.
   fastidiousness

Other Words From

• non·cu·ri·os·i·ty noun
• o·ver·cu·ri·os·i·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of curiosity¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English curiosite, either from Anglo-French or directly from Latin cūriōsitās, from cūriōs(us) curious + -itās -ity

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. curiosity killed the cat, being too inquisitive is dangerous:

   I'd really like to know what's going on in the boss's head, but then, curiosity killed the cat.

Example Sentences

Intellectual curiosity - even about steak preference was woefully lacking.

From Salon

In My First Coup d'Etat, Mahama Jr describes himself as "an observant child with an active imagination and an unbounded curiosity".

From BBC

Enumerating the areas of his curiosity alone could take four hours, so the focus here is more on his output, whose scope and impact are singular even now.

From New York Times

Almost as shocking is the church’s repeated lack of curiosity and inaction when people tried to warn about what he was doing, also described in the report.

From BBC

Ms Rebbeck also looked for information about the 33-year-old that was not connected with the her duties multiple times, which the panel heard had “centred on her own morbid curiosity”.

From BBC

Related Words

• concern
• inquisitiveness
• interest