novella

[ noh-vel-uh ]

/ noʊˈvɛl ə /

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noun, plural no·vel·las, no·vel·le

[noh-vel-ee, -vel-ey]. /noʊˈvɛl i, -ˈvɛl eɪ/.

a tale or short story of the type contained in the Decameron of Boccaccio.

a fictional prose narrative that is longer and more complex than a short story; a short novel.

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Origin of novella

From Italian, dating back to 1900–05; see origin at novel¹

Words nearby novella

novelette, novelettish, novelist, novelistic, novelize, novella, Novello, Novels, novelty, November, novemdecillion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use novella in a sentence

They both fit into a coat’s oversized pocket, just the size of a paperback novella.
The Ephemeral Appeal of Indie Food Zines|N.A. Mansour|August 4, 2022|Eater
The novella that lends its title to this collection centers on two women exchanging increasingly disturbing messages in a chatroom.
Let’s talk about science fiction and horror by new, promising writers|Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Lavie Tidhar|August 4, 2022|Washington Post
In the first section of this novella, a paralegal, also, named David Bingham, lives with his wealthy lover, also named Charles Griffith.
‘To Paradise’ is an unforgettable masterpiece|Kathi Wolfe|February 18, 2022|Washington Blade
Originally begun in 1967, with the novella Weyr Search, the series ballooned to more than 25 novels and multiple compilations of short stories and novellas.
8 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books That Deserve a Screen Adaptation|Leigh Butler|February 3, 2022|Time

The original film was directed by Clive Barker adapting his own novella "The Hellbound Heart."
Hellraiser Reboot Casts Female Pinhead|noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)|October 7, 2021|TechCrunch
And in some ways [the novella at the end of the collection] “Jack and the Mad Dog” just sort of set me free.
Tony Earley's Imaginary Friends|Mindy Farabee|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Morgan, beamed in as ever from a planet far from ours, delivered a mini-novella, dedicated to these people being “part of me.”
‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ Loses a Leg in Sixth-Season Finale|Tim Teeman|July 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I see my novella as being part of that—as part of the social discourse.
The Surprisingly Good Flight 370 Novel: Author Scott Maka Defends His Controversial Book|Tim Teeman|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I tried to make that clear in the author's note at the start of the novella, but it seems that I was not emphatic enough.
The Surprisingly Good Flight 370 Novel: Author Scott Maka Defends His Controversial Book|Tim Teeman|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The surprise is that the 127-page novella is far from terrible and creepy.
The Surprisingly Good Flight 370 Novel: Author Scott Maka Defends His Controversial Book|Tim Teeman|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Una novella boccaccesca in azione nel secolo xv, p. 419 et seq.
Giovanni Boccaccio, a Biographical Study|Edward Hutton
Landau, M., La novella di messer Torello e le sue attinenze mitiche e leggendarie, in Giornale stor.
Giovanni Boccaccio, a Biographical Study|Edward Hutton
The most remarkable exception is Santa Maria Novella, which has an elaborate facing of black and white marble.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. II (of 3)|George Eliot
In other words the novella was actually (though still in miniature) a novel in nature as well as in name.
The English Novel|George Saintsbury
Rinaldo agreed, and marched with all his company to S. Maria Novella.
Florence and Northern Tuscany with Genoa|Edward Hutton

British Dictionary definitions for novella

novella

/ (nəʊˈvɛlə) /

noun plural -las or -le (-leɪ)

(formerly) a short narrative tale, esp a popular story having a moral or satirical point, such as those in Boccaccio's Decameron

a short novel; novelette

Word Origin for novella

C20: from Italian; see novel 1

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

novella

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Origin of novella

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British Dictionary definitions for novella

Word Origin for novella