novella
Americannoun
plural
novellas, novelle-
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.
noun
-
(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
Etymology
Origin of novella
From Italian, dating back to 1900–05; see origin at novel 1
Compare meaning
How does novella compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Short novels are called novellas. If you don't want to write a novel, but have more to say than a short story, you could try writing a novella. You've surely heard of plays, poems, short stories, and novels. But novellas? They're not as well known, but pretty simple: nothing more than short novels. Sometimes novellas are called novelettes, but whatever you call them, you'll probably read a few in English class. Sometimes it's easier to squeeze in a novella than a whole novel, so maybe you could start with Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" or Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis."
Vocabulary lists containing novella
Brand Spankin' New: Words with Neo- and Nov-
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Literary Genres - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Fiction - Introductory
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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.
It’s astonishing that Mr. Ozon is the first to make a French film of the novella, which previously yielded only two feature versions, one Italian and the other Turkish.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
Claire Keegan’s novella opens with a child on a journey and with a sense of unease.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is adapted from Truman Capote’s novella by the same name.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
"Train Dreams," director Clint Bentley's adaptation of the Denis Johnson novella, follows a railroad worker and the transformation of the American northwest across the 20th century.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
As you must know, it would be unusual for us to publish a complete novella by an unknown writer, or for that matter a well-established one.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
