adjective

novel

New or different from what is familiar.

The team tries a novel approach to solving the problem.

Etymology

The Latin adjective means new or young. English preserves the newness directly when it describes something unfamiliar or different from established experience.

More examples

Working from home is still a novel experience for me.
The chef combines familiar ingredients in novel ways.
Her proposal sounds novel, but similar plans already exist.

Forms

novel

novelty noun — The quality of being new or unfamiliar.

Similar words

new: Emphasizes recent appearance rather than difference from familiar things.
original: Emphasizes independent creation rather than simply being unfamiliar.
unusual: Emphasizes departure from what is common, not necessarily newness.