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

The film was adapted from Annie Proulx’s novella by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 4 Apr. 2025

The titular novella follows restless loggers who plan a wintertime dance, on the condition that some of them attend as women. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025

Lee Chang-dong adopts a novella by Haruki Murakami into a riveting dissection of class and gender in modern Korea. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2025

Brianne Gillen’s novella, My Favorite Leopard, combines the glamor of Old Hollywood with a romance between actress/shifter Lina Leonard and animal trainer Tony Benson. —Maureen Lee Lenker, People.com, 19 Mar. 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