novelist

noun

nov·​el·​ist ˈnä-və-list How to pronounce novelist (audio)
ˈnäv-
Synonyms of novelistnext
: a writer of novels

Examples of novelist in a Sentence

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.
And a New Currents special mention went to South Korean director Lim Hayeon’s debut feature Beach Fictions, about a young woman whose escape to a seaside town brings enigmatic encounters with a novelist, a magician and a fortune teller. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 With zero social or professional overlap, a Scottish drummer and a Singaporean novelist could easily never have met, then or now. — Amanda Lee Koe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 For decades, the novelist Tom McCarthy has dismantled the tropes of realist fiction. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026 The competition was judged by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, novelist Neal Stephenson, Google‘s Mira Lane, Salesforce executive John Zissimos and ‘Star Trek’ steward Rod Roddenberry. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for novelist

Word History

Etymology

novel entry 1 + -ist entry 1

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of novelist was in 1728

Browse Nearby Words

novelism
novelist
novelistic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Novelist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novelist. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

novelist

noun
nov·​el·​ist ˈnäv-(ə-)ləst How to pronounce novelist (audio)
: a writer of novels

More from Merriam-Webster on novelist

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for novelist

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about novelist

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of syncretic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All