novella

noun

no·​vel·​la nō-ˈve-lə 

plural novellas or novelle nō-ˈve-lē 

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

Synonyms

• tale
• story

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

In the book, Malahy detailed the numerous catastrophes that surrounded the months spent filming the movie, a loose adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella, Heart of Darkness, in the Philippines. —Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

The film is based on Henry James' 1898 horror novella, The Turn of the Screw, and Truman Capote and William Archibald won the Edgar Allan Poe award for their screenplay. —Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025

The film is an adaptation of Don Winslow’s novella of the same name. —Leia Mendoza, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025

It’s adapted from Denis Johnson’s novella and follows Robert Grainier, a logger working on the railroad that will cross the United States, at the turn of the 20th century. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for novella

• brucella
• candela
• capella
• chlorella
• flagella
• glabella
• lamella
• marcella
• mustela
• patella
• predella
• prunella

Kids Definition

novella

noun

no·​vel·​la nō-ˈvel-ə 

: a work of fiction falling between a short story and a novel in length and complexity