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

Subsequent seasons of Off Campus, the show, will presumably follow the other books, The Mistake, The Score, The Goal and The Legacy (a novella compiling stories from all of the couples). —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 7 May 2025

Directed by Bart Layton, Crime 101 is based on author Don Winslow’s novella of the same name. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025

The film, directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Tom Hiddleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor, is based on Stephen King’s novella about the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2025

Crime 101 is directed by Bart Layton, and adapted from a novella by Don Winslow. —Caroline Frost, Deadline, 6 Apr. 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