Word of the day: Notabilia

Notabilia

ˌnoʊdəˈbɪljə

NOUN

Things worthy of notice.

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

“Sherlock Holmes always seemed distracted at first, but he kept track of the notabilia others might not pay attention to.”

“The museum exhibit is an immersive experience with notabilia from around the world displayed in cases and on the walls.”

“If you find yourself getting distracted easily, try taking some time each day to focus on the notabilia in your surroundings.”

WORD ORIGIN

Latin, mid-19th century

WHY THIS WORD?

“Notabilia” is a special way of saying “things worth noticing.” On a large, historical scale, we can say that notabilia of the 20th century includes the two world wars, the Wright brothers’ first aircraft, Einstein’s theory of relativity, and countless technological advancements. But “notabilia,” which comes from the Latin “notabilis,” meaning “worthy of note,” also can apply on a personal level. Perhaps you keep a box of all the greeting cards you receive, or you notice the morning sun is especially warm one day and you stop to enjoy it. Notabilia is an extremely relative concept.