novella

[ noh-vel-uh ]

noun

, plural no·vel·las, no·vel·le [noh-, vel, -ee, -, vel, -ey].

1. a tale or short story of the type contained in the Decameron of Boccaccio.
2. a fictional prose narrative that is longer and more complex than a short story; a short novel.

novella

/ nəʊˈvɛlə /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of novella¹

From Italian, dating back to 1900–05; novel ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of novella¹

C20: from Italian; see novel ¹

Example Sentences

“Planet Earth III” captures the beauty of nature with visually poetic novellas that can take the behind-the-scenes artisans months to procure.

From Los Angeles Times

Henry Hoke’s “Open Throat” will be a mostly spoken work with shadow puppets based on the novella about a queer mountain lion living beneath the Hollywood sign.

From Seattle Times

She debuted as poet and her first novella, “My Ego, My Teeth and the World,” in 2007, and her novel “Heaven” was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize.

From Seattle Times

Who would venture out on a cold night to take in an obscure screen adaptation of a Dostoyevsky novella that you can watch at home?

From New York Times

But that perception began to change with this 1986 hit, an adaptation of King’s novella “The Body,” in which the most terrifying moment is a pie-eating contest that turns into a comical vomitorium.

From New York Times

Related Words

• fiction
• narrative
• paperback
• prose
• story
• tale
• yarn