Novels

British

/ ˈnɒvəlz /

plural noun

Roman law the new statutes of Justinian and succeeding emperors supplementing the Institutes, Digest, and Code: now forming part of the Corpus Juris Civilis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Novels

Latin Novellae ( constitūtiōnēs ) new (laws)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Novels selected for Grain of Salt events are carefully curated by Alexis, who focuses on female protagonists and queer literature.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

Novels should be serious and teach awareness of social justice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

They also dig into David Brooks’ controversial opinion column “When Novels Mattered” arguing that good literary fiction is a thing of the past.

From Slate • Jul. 26, 2025

Novels that give voice to the often unheard stories of migrants around the world are among the nominees for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2024

There’s also a treble clef, a dancing avocado, and a couple of book-related ones: “Graphic Novels Are Real Books” and “Read More, Ban Less.”

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023