as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
pressed for time, many English teachers have their students read the one novella among the novelist's works
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Recent Examples of novella
Indeed, those who order the $10.50 sandwich at Sunoco receive a hearty 6-to-8-ounce pork loin, sliced in-house and tenderized to roughly the length and width of a Nerf football and about as thick as a Steinbeck novella.
—
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Directed by Bart Layton and based on a Don Winslow novella, the pic also stars Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte, as well as Halle Berry.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
One half is a work of fiction, a novella about two friends, Edie and Marie, who meet in Marie’s apartment to discuss their recent breakups: Edie has left a controlling man, and Marie’s wife has filed for divorce.
—Merve Emre, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
For the past 30 years, Kate Elliott has written fantasy, science fiction, space opera, Young Adult fantasy, as well as two novellas set in the Magic: The Gathering multiverse.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for novella
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Directed by Bart Layton and based on a Don Winslow novella, the pic also stars Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte, as well as Halle Berry.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
One half is a work of fiction, a novella about two friends, Edie and Marie, who meet in Marie’s apartment to discuss their recent breakups: Edie has left a controlling man, and Marie’s wife has filed for divorce.
—Merve Emre, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
For the past 30 years, Kate Elliott has written fantasy, science fiction, space opera, Young Adult fantasy, as well as two novellas set in the Magic: The Gathering multiverse.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for novella
Recent Examples of Synonyms for novella
Noun
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The Coldplay public humiliation is a cautionary tale of atrophied American privacy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
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That tale is just one of many in the story that don’t show Joel in an especially flattering light.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Little Dream's cake also featured some butterfly detailing, as seen on Khloé's story.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
29 July 2025
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His story hit just as Pastel QAnon — a softer, Instagram-friendly offshoot of the movement — was flourishing.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Novella.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/novella. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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