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
The story is a timeless novella of love, jealousy, betrayal and tragic death, traditionally set during 1847 colonial Spain.
—
Lisa Vernon Sparks, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
In an attempt at reaching the truth and giving Johanna a chance to tell her side of the story before Johanne’s novella is published, Kristin ends up meeting with the teacher at a small café.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
The film — which hails from director Clint Bentley, who also adapted it with Greg Kwedar from Denis Johnson's 2011 novella of the same name — follows the life of a logger named Robert Grainier (Edgerton), who works to install railroads across the continental United States in the early to mid-1900s.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Based on Denis Johnson’s award-winning novella, this artful, elliptical tale of one ordinary man’s life (Edgerton) in the early 20th century has already received rave reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival.
—Tolly Wright, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novella
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Lisa Vernon Sparks, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
In an attempt at reaching the truth and giving Johanna a chance to tell her side of the story before Johanne’s novella is published, Kristin ends up meeting with the teacher at a small café.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
The film — which hails from director Clint Bentley, who also adapted it with Greg Kwedar from Denis Johnson's 2011 novella of the same name — follows the life of a logger named Robert Grainier (Edgerton), who works to install railroads across the continental United States in the early to mid-1900s.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Based on Denis Johnson’s award-winning novella, this artful, elliptical tale of one ordinary man’s life (Edgerton) in the early 20th century has already received rave reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival.
—Tolly Wright, Vulture, 8 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 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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