novella

noun

no·​vel·​la nō-ˈve-lə How to pronounce novella (audio)
plural novellas or novelle nō-ˈve-lē How to pronounce novella (audio)
1
plural novelle : a story with a compact and pointed plot
2
plural novellas : a work of fiction intermediate in length and complexity between a short story and a novel

Examples of novella in a Sentence

pressed for time, many English teachers have their students read the one novella among the novelist's works
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Martin also pointed to how his previous work in character perspective — multiple in the Game of Thrones books — also shaped the novellas. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025 The pic, adapted from Denis Johnson’s 2002 short story (later published as a novella) of the same name, was acquired by the streamer after its Sundance Film Festival debut, and just played TIFF. Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025 In some ways, that question is secondary to the fact that Lot 49 grapples with the nature of symbology itself, and the way that symbols work in literature, which contributed to the novella as good syllabus fodder. Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025 Featuring illustrations by Sophie Blackall, the novella wraps up the trilogy that DiCamillo largely wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic. Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for novella

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, "piece of news, announcement, story, narrative," noun derivative from feminine of novello "new," going back to Latin novellus "young, tender (of plants or animals)," from novus "new" + -ellus, diminutive suffix — more at new entry 1

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of novella was in 1677

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Novella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novella. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

novella

noun
no·​vel·​la nō-ˈvel-ə How to pronounce novella (audio)
: a work of fiction falling between a short story and a novel in length and complexity

More from Merriam-Webster on novella

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