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
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
From Ally Carter's romantic and mysterious The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year to Janice Hallett's darkly funny novella The Christmas Appeal, the books on this list will leave you with thrills and chills.
—
Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025
The debut narrative film by Dylan Southern, an adaptation of the Max Porter novella Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, premiered at Sundance and Berlin (see Deadline review).
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Nov. 2025
Charles Dickens’ holiday novella was adapted for the stage and directed by Cygnet artistic director Sean Murray, with lyrics by Murray and original music by Billy Thompson.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Based on the unforgettable Denis Johnson novella, Clint Bentley’s new film set in the Pacific Northwest follows Robert Grainier, a logger and rail worker at the turn of the 20th century played by Joel Edgerton.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novella
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Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025
The debut narrative film by Dylan Southern, an adaptation of the Max Porter novella Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, premiered at Sundance and Berlin (see Deadline review).
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Nov. 2025
Charles Dickens’ holiday novella was adapted for the stage and directed by Cygnet artistic director Sean Murray, with lyrics by Murray and original music by Billy Thompson.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Based on the unforgettable Denis Johnson novella, Clint Bentley’s new film set in the Pacific Northwest follows Robert Grainier, a logger and rail worker at the turn of the 20th century played by Joel Edgerton.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novella
Cite this Entry
“Novella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novella. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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