novelize

[ nov-uh-lahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, nov·el·ized, nov·el·iz·ing.

1. to put into the form of a novel:

   He tried to novelize one of Shakespeare's plays.

2. to make fictional; fictionalize.

novelize

/ ˈnɒvəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to convert (a true story, film, etc) into a novel

Derived Forms

• ˌnoveliˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• novel·i·zation noun
• novel·izer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of novelize¹

First recorded in 1625–35; novel ¹ + -ize

Example Sentences

When I started to look into that, I uncovered another amazing story, and I novelized her journey from obscurity in Baltimore to the British throne, almost.

From Salon

His final novel, “Inside Story,” published in 2020, was a “novelized autobiography” that considered his friendship with Mr. Hitchens and his relationship with his father.

From New York Times

“That was what my mother did,” she said, referring to the act of novelizing one’s life.

From New York Times

Part homage, part psychological investigation, this novelized portrait of Huisman’s mother captures the life of a charismatic, unstable and exasperating woman — as well as the experience of growing up in her ambit.

From New York Times

Two years after “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” hit theaters, Quentin Tarantino has novelized his Oscar-winning movie, calling the result a “complete rethinking” of the story.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• fabricate