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novelette

American  
[nov-uh-let] / ˌnɒv əˈlɛt /

noun

  1. a brief novel or long short story.


novelette British  
/ ˌnɒvəˈlɛt /

noun

  1. an extended prose narrative story or short novel

  2. a novel that is regarded as being slight, trivial, or sentimental

  3. a short piece of lyrical music, esp one for the piano

"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 novelette

First recorded in 1805–15; novel 1 + -ette


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.

See Examples For:

You know the species because androids have been a mainstay of science fiction since before Isaac Asimov coined the “three laws of robotics” for a novelette published in 1942.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2025

The novelette, a designation for a work that falls between 7,500 and 17,500 words, tells the story of Persephone Aim.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2020

Both novels are set in the “punch-card-punk” world that Kowal established in her 2013 novelette, “The Lady Astronaut of Mars.”

From The Verge ● Sep. 18, 2018

“It appears as though the novelette was unfinished business for her.”

From Washington Times ● Jun. 17, 2014

He knew that it was the language of the novelette in which she spoke.

From The Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann

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