English Lexicon

Curiosity

/ˌkjʊər.iˈɒs.ə.ti/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #2450 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

1 sense
As noun
  1. 1

    A strong desire to know or learn something.

    "Filled with curiosity, she opened the mysterious package."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'curiositas', stemming from 'curiosus' meaning careful, inquisitive, or diligent, originating from 'cura' meaning care or attention. Entering Middle English via Old French 'curiosité' around the 14th century, the term shifted from denoting excessive or fastidious care to its modern psychological sense of a strong desire to know or learn something.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Curiosity"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Curiosity"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Curiosity" Synonym Map