plural novellas or novelle
nō-ˈve-lē 
1
plural novelle
: a story with a compact and pointed plot
2
plural novellas
: a work of fiction intermediate in length and complexity between a short story and a novel
Examples of novella in a Sentence
pressed for time, many English teachers have their students read the one novella among the novelist's works
Recent Examples on the Web
The movie is based on a novella of the same name by author Denis Johnson.
—
Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Netflix 'The Life of Chuck' Based on the Stephen King novella, director Mike Flanagan's supremely joyous character study – the best movie of 2025 – involves an apocalypse, multiple dance extravaganzas and a haunted attic.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
And since Freida McFadden’s book series that the movie is based on has three installments (plus one novella), this may not be the end.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
The Art of Conjuring is the first novella to be released by the press.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Novella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novella. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
novella
noun
no·vel·la
nō-ˈvel-ə
: a work of fiction falling between a short story and a novel in length and complexity
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