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

Hellraiser Year: 1987 Runtime: 1h 34m Director: Clive Barker The horror author Clive Barker directed this adaptation of his own novella The Hellbound Heart and made genre movie history. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025

Among her dozens of publications were seven novellas that appeared as serials in these two weeklies. —arkansasonline.com, 4 Jan. 2025

Based on Henry James’ 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle, French auteur Bertrand Bonello achieves cinematic sublimity. —Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024

Fans of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander novels and novellas might’ve picked up on a slender story thread woven into the Season 7, Part 2 premiere and continued in the most recent episode. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Dec. 2024

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

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