novel 1 of 2

noun

Definition of novelnext
1
as in narrative

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in novelette

Related Words

novel

2 of 2

adjective

ˈnä-vəl How to pronounce novel (audio)
as in new
not known or experienced before that's a novel idea for a TV series

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective novel differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of novel are fresh, new, and original. While all these words mean "having recently come into existence or use," novel applies to what is not only new but strange or unprecedented.

a novel approach to the problem

When could fresh be used to replace novel?

While the synonyms fresh and novel are close in meaning, fresh applies to what has not lost its qualities of newness such as liveliness, energy, brightness.

a fresh start

In what contexts can new take the place of novel?

Although the words new and novel have much in common, new may apply to what is freshly made and unused, what has not been known before, or what has not been experienced before.

new brick
new designs
starts the new job

When might original be a better fit than novel?

The meanings of original and novel largely overlap; however, original applies to what is the first of its kind to exist.

a man without one original idea

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of novel
Noun
The gesture is clearly meant to enlarge the novel’s moral field. — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 Painful memories force her to confront first her own choices, then personal grief and finally, the family secrets that provide the novel’s distinctly elegiac and holistic tone. — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Researchers at Nanjing University in China and collaborating institutions have developed a novel processing strategy to resolve a major efficiency issue in monolithic all-perovskite triple-junction solar cells. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026 Emily Ruskovich is the author of the novel Idaho, a prize-winning 2017 best seller. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for novel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for novel
  1. narrative
  2. novelette
  3. new
  4. fiction
  5. monograph
  6. unfamiliar
  7. anecdote
  8. pulp
Noun
  • This keeps the performance informal and keeps the narrative — a staggering odyssey of injustices, abuses, travel adventures, extraordinary coincidences, losses, reunions, reflections and self-analysis — from becoming sensationalized.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Nakajima says the team leaves the fun of the original, its narrative structure and the feeling audiences take home untouched.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of narrative
Noun
  • Alfred Hitchcock turned one of Woolrich’s novelettes into Rear Window, for which Woolrich was paid the grand sum of $650.
    — Sam Kashner, Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025
  • The next year, Hao Jingfang became the first Chinese woman to win a Hugo, for her novelette Folding Beijing.
    — Yi-Ling Liu, Wired, 9 Mar. 2021
Definition of novelette
Adjective
  • Presenter Zane Lowe has conducted loads of candid interviews with new and established musicians, and the company's Los Angeles studio has captured dozens of memorable performances for posterity.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The episode is also the debut of new cast members Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter.
    — William Earl, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of new
Noun
  • Viewers will be relieved to know that the last few minutes — in which Schulman delivers us a shocking act of violence — are fiction.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Cycle two dedicated to projects in production, received 696 submissions, with 17 projects ultimately selected, spanning feature fiction, feature documentary and short fiction.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of fiction
Noun
  • Baldwin Lee came to photographic renown pretty late in life, mostly for his in-close-and-intense pictures of small-town Black Southerners made in the 1980s and collected in an epic monograph in 2022.
    — Baldwin Lee, Curbed, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The show is accompanied by Cowin’s first full-scale monograph.
    — Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of monograph
Adjective
  • Such crudely geometric thinking prevailed because the unfamiliar land seemed unmarked by history.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In low-light pose estimation, the system is trying to recognize a familiar type of movement under unfamiliar environmental conditions.
    — Bo Wang, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfamiliar
Noun
  • There’s some evidence and many anecdotes that kratom leaf products have helped people wean themselves off of opioids or other illicit drugs.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Indeed, the side of Eco most on display during the conference, in the form of both personal anecdotes and public tributes, was that of a teacher who loved and cared deeply about his students.
    — Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of anecdote
Noun
  • But even then, the film feels energized by its bold mixture of pulp pleasures and weighty musings, operating with a bruising efficiency that Ali’s skilled assassin would no doubt respect.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In reality, reaching a mix of 30 to 50 percent textile-to-textile pulp might require brands and viscose producers to implement more changes in other related operations such as textile waste collection and sorting, Canopy said.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of pulp

Browse Nearby Words

novas
novel
novelette
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Novel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/novel. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on novel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about novel

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