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

• narrative
• novelette
• short story
• story
• tale
• yarn

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 film is adapted from a novella written by Stephen King. —Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 13 June 2025

The first novella couldn’t be stretched quite that far, so the story required some expansion. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 13 June 2025

If anything, Flanagan revels in the novella’s genre-bending dexterity, magnifying the eeriness of its opening scenes before deepening the homespun warmth of its subsequent chapters. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025

This adaptation doesn’t shy away from the novella’s chilling themes. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 6 June 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