originality
Never seen before
Originality is the quality of being new, fresh, or unlike anything that came before.
An original idea hasn't been thought of by others; an original artwork doesn't imitate existing work.
Originality is prized in creative fields but can be hard to verify—most "original" ideas have antecedents somewhere.
The proposal lacked originality.
Her originality as a composer set her apart.
First to explore territory
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- trailblazingBeing the first through
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
disruptive · game-changing · avant-garde · seminal · visionary · transformative · breakthrough · radical
Quality of being original
- newnessState of being recent
- freshnessState of being unspoiled
- unfamiliarityLack of prior knowledge
- unexploredNot yet investigated
untried · virgin territory · uncharted · nascent · emerging · debut · premiere · first
Faculty for forming ideas
- inspirationSource of creative impulse
- ingenuityClever, original thinking
- visionAbility to see
- inventivenessCapacity for original creation
resourcefulness · expressiveness · artistry · genius · talent · intuition · divergent thinking · ideation
Readily identifiable, set apart
- singularOne in number
- one-of-a-kindHaving no equivalent
- unparalleledHaving no equivalent
- idiosyncraticDistinctively individual in nature
unprecedented · inimitable · matchless · peerless · incomparable · irreplaceable · nonpareil · unequaled
Quality of being real
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
- sourcePoint of origin
- primaryChief in importance
- firsthandWithout intermediary
uncopied · underived · provenance · attribution · authorship · creator · progenitor · seminal
pioneering
First to explore territory
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- trailblazingBeing the first through
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
cutting-edge · disruptive · game-changing · avant-garde · seminal · visionary · transformative · breakthrough · radical · experimental
novelty
Quality of being original
- newnessState of being recent
- freshnessState of being unspoiled
- unfamiliarityLack of prior knowledge
unexplored · untried · virgin territory · uncharted · nascent · emerging · debut · premiere · first · maiden
imagination
Faculty for forming ideas
- inspirationSource of creative impulse
- ingenuityClever, original thinking
- visionAbility to see
inventiveness · resourcefulness · expressiveness · artistry · genius · talent · intuition · divergent thinking · ideation · brainstorming
distinctive
Readily identifiable, set apart
- singularOne in number
- one-of-a-kindHaving no equivalent
- unparalleledHaving no equivalent
idiosyncratic · unprecedented · inimitable · matchless · peerless · incomparable · irreplaceable · nonpareil · unequaled · signature
genuineness
Quality of being real
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
- sourcePoint of origin
- primaryChief in importance
firsthand · uncopied · underived · provenance · attribution · authorship · creator · progenitor · seminal · foundational
- noveltynewness, freshness, novelty, uniqueness, new beginning
- Artistic Freedomartistic freedom, creative freedom, artistic autonomy, creative autonomy, artistic license
- Individualismindividualism, self-reliance, nonconformity, personal freedom, autonomy
- research ethicsresearch ethics, bioethics, ethics board, ethics training, fabrication
- creativityimagination, creativity, brainstorming, unique voice, inspiration
- authenticityauthentic, genuine, real, fake, counterfeit
originalitystaleness
Loss of freshness
triteness · unoriginality · banality · cliché · familiarity
originalityderivativeness
Lack of original thought
imitation · unoriginality · copying · plagiarism · dependency
originalityconventionality
Adherence to accepted customs
orthodoxy · conformity · traditionalism · standardness · predictability