as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
pressed for time, many English teachers have their students read the one novella among the novelist's works
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Recent Examples of novella
Like the Stephen King novella that inspired it, director Mike Flanagan's latest film is told in three acts, presented in reverse chronological order.
—
Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 6 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for novella
Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 6 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for novella
Recent Examples of Synonyms for novella
Noun
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At least for now, the Saks story is no longer a tale about financing.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
7 July 2025
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Sula by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison’s suite of stunning historical novels includes Beloved, A Mercy, and this 1973 tale of a friendship between Sula Peace and Nel Wright.—
Mia Barzilay Freund,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
5 July 2025
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Douglas also shared some stories from Cuckoo’s Nest, including ones about Nicholson.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Novella.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/novella. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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