Zola

American

[zoh-luh, zaw-la] / ˈzoʊ lə, zɔˈla /

noun

Émile 1840–1902, French novelist.

Zola British

/ zɔla, ˈzəʊlə /

noun

Émile (emil). 1840–1902, French novelist and critic; chief exponent of naturalism. In Les Rougon-Macquart (1871–93), a cycle of 20 novels, he explains the behaviour of his characters in terms of their heredity: it includes L'Assommoir (1877), Nana (1880), Germinal (1885), and La Terre (1887). He is also noted for his defence of Dreyfus in his pamphlet J'accuse (1898)

"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

Derived Forms

Zolaesque

adjective

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.

"I gave my passport to the officer. He was shocked. 'Are you really Tonton Zola Moukoko?' he asked. 'You can't be the one that was playing at Derby!'"

From BBC • May 5, 2026

On average, wedding dresses cost $2,250, and can reach $10,000 or more for designer gowns, according to Zola.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

He shares eldest child Eric with his former girlfriend, Paulette McNeely, and then welcomed five kids—Bria, Myles, Shayne, Zola, and Bella—with his first wife, Nicole Mitchell.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 24, 2025

But novelist Emile Zola then penned his famous "J'accuse...!"

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

Zola scoots onto the bed and cuddles Rosetta.

From "The Unfinished Angel" by Sharon Creech

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