Remarkability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being worthy of notice or attention due to being unusual, striking, or noteworthy in some significant way
2. The characteristic of being notable or extraordinary that compels recognition and interest from others
3. The trait of standing out in a way that draws attention and admiration for its distinctiveness or importance

Etymology: "Remarkability" is simply "remarkable" with the suffix "-ability" attached, and "remarkable" itself comes from "remark," a word that entered English from French in the 1500s with the sense of noticing or pointing out. The suffix "-ability" joins "-able" (capable of being) with the noun-forming "-ity," so the result names the quality of being capable of being remarked upon, that is, worth noticing. The chain of meaning is therefore literal at each step. Something "remarkable" is something that can be marked out from its surroundings, and "remarkability" names that quality in the abstract. Because the word is built this way rather than inherited, its meaning stays close to the everyday verb "to remark" whenever it is used.

Synonyms: noteworthiness, significance

Antonyms: insignificance