Definition

Noun: 1. The quality of lacking originality or novelty: The state of being derivative, imitative, or not new in thought, style, or creation. 2. A specific unoriginal act or thing: An instance or example that is not original.

Usage

Unoriginality is used to describe the characteristic of something that is not new, inventive, or creative. It often carries a negative connotation, implying a lack of freshness, imagination, or independent thought. It can refer to ideas, artistic works, writing, or general behavior.

Examples

• The unoriginality of the film's plot disappointed critics who had hoped for a more innovative story.
• Her essay was marked down for its unoriginality, as it relied too heavily on paraphrasing other sources without adding new insight.
• The unoriginality of the marketing campaign was evident; it used the same slogans and imagery as its competitors.

Advanced Usage

• "A profound unoriginality": Used to emphasize a deep or fundamental lack of originality.
  • The author's later works were criticized for their profound unoriginality, merely rehashing themes from his first successful novel.
• In academic and artistic criticism, is a key term for evaluating the merit of a work against established ideas or creations.

Variants and Related Words

• Unoriginal (adjective): Not original; derivative or imitative.
  • an unoriginal idea
• Originality (noun): The quality of being novel or inventive. (This is the direct antonym.)
  • The design was praised for its originality.

Synonyms

• Derivativeness
• Imitativeness
• Lack of creativity
• Conventionality
• Trittness

Antonyms

• Originality
• Creativity
• Novelty
• Innovation
• Inventiveness

Related Phrases

• A lack of originality: A more common phrasing with the same meaning as .
  • The proposal was rejected due to a complete lack of originality.
• To border on unoriginality: To be very close to being unoriginal.
  • His latest song borders on unoriginality, sounding strikingly similar to a hit from last year.

Noun

1. the quality of being unoriginal
2. uncreativeness due to a lack of originality