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 of novella

• 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

The Little Prince is an adaption of the beloved 1943 novella by the French author and artist Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. —Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026

Johnson’s novella captured specific, sometimes seemingly insignificant, moments in the life of an ordinary logger named Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), who died at 80. —Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026

Train Dreams, based on a novella by Denis Johnson, follows his key character one Robert Grainier, played brilliantly by Edgerton, a lumberman who felled timber for railroads at the turn of the 20th century. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026

In DeWitt’s novella, Marguerite takes taste seriously in itself. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026

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