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novelistic

American  
[nov-uh-lis-tik] / ˌnɒv əˈlɪs tɪk /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of novels.


novelistic British  
/ ˌnɒvəˈlɪstɪk /

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of novels, esp in style or method of treatment

    his novelistic account annoyed other historians

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of novelistic

First recorded in 1825–35; novel 1 + -istic

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:

But the director, who wrote his adaptation in collaboration with Philippe Piazzo, also isn’t content with mere novelistic faithfulness to an author whose traces of colonial allegory in “The Stranger” have often been found problematic.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 10, 2026

“That sounds pretty crappy. And we would have lost one of the great, novelistic experiential movies that we have.”

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 20, 2026

Mr. Century, a veteran investigative journalist, has drawn on those writings, as well as many other firsthand accounts, to give his narrative a rich, novelistic sheen.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 17, 2025

Spend enough time there and I guarantee you’ll find yourself gaining almost novelistic insight into what your high school English teacher called “the human condition.”

From Slate Apr. 26, 2024

Shepherd was an acquired taste: He told tales in novelistic form about his childhood in the Midwest, his life in the army, and his adult misadventures in New York City.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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