Meanings
novel1
comparative more novel · superlative most novel
novel2
plural novels
- A work of prose fiction, longer than a novella.First known use 17th c.
If it be true, that the preſent age is more corrupt, than the preceding, the great multiplication of Novels has probably contributed to its degeneracy. Fifty years ago there was ſcarcely a Novel in the kingdom. Romances, indeed, abounded; but they, it is ſuppoſed, were rather favorable to virtue.
1800, Vicesimus Knox, “Essay XIV (On Novel reading)”, in Essays Moral and Literary, volume I, page 1001 more example
Since I had started to break down all my writing and get rid of all facility and try to make instead of describe, writing had been wonderful to do. But it was very difficult, and I did not know how I would ever write anything as long as a novel. It often took me a full morning of work to write a paragraph.
1964, Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 151 - historicalA fable; a short tale, especially one of many making up a larger work.First known use 16th c.
merry tales[…]such as the old woman told of Psyche in Apuleius, Boccace novels, and the rest, quarum auditione pueri delectantur, senes narratione, which some delight to hear, some to tell, all are well pleased with.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 2, member 4
novel3
novel4
plural novels
- ByzantineRomanhistoricallawA new legal constitution.First known use 17th c.
The normal and natural relationship of emperor and churchman was summed up by Justinian in one of his novels […]
1979, Jeffrey Richards, The Popes and the Papacy in the Early Middle Ages, 476–752, page 15
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveNewly made, formed or evolved; having no precedent; of recent origin; new.
adjectiveOriginal, especially in an interesting way; new and striking; not of the typical or ordinary type.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivepleasantly new or different
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
novel · adjective
- Latinnovellus“new, fresh, young, modern”
- Old Frenchnovel“new, fresh, recent, recently made or done, strange, rare”
- Middle Englishnovel
- Englishnovel
From Middle English novel, from Old French novel (“new, fresh, recent, recently made or done, strange, rare”) (modern nouvel, nouveau), from Latin novellus (“new, fresh, young, modern”), diminutive of novus (“new”). Doublet of nouveau.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →novel · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*nu
- Proto-Indo-European*néwos
- Proto-Italic*nowos
- Latinnovus
- Latinnovellus
- Vulgar Latin*novella
- Italiannovella
- Englishnovel
Borrowed from Italian novella, from Latin novella, feminine of novellus. Doublet of novella.
More words from Italian, Latin
Full word history & related roots →novel · noun
- Latinnovella
- Old Frenchnovelle
- Middle Englishnovel
- Englishnovel
From Middle English novel, from Old French novelle, from Latin novella, feminine of novellus.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →novel · noun
- Latinnovella
- Englishnovel
Borrowed from Latin novella, feminine of novellus.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans roman
- romanwork of prose fiction
Ancient Greek καινοπρεπής, νεοχμός
- καινοπρεπής (kainoprepḗs)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- νεοχμός (neokhmós)new, original, especially in an interesting way
Arabic مُسْتَجِدّ, رِوَايَة
- مُسْتَجِدّ (mustajidd)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- رِوَايَة (riwāya)work of prose fiction
Basque eleberri, nobela
- eleberriwork of prose fiction
- nobelawork of prose fiction
Bengali উপন্যাস
- উপন্যাস (uponnaś)work of prose fiction
Bulgarian нов, необикновен
- нов (nov)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- необикновен (neobiknoven)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- рома́н (román)work of prose fiction
- нове́ла (novéla)work of prose fiction
Catalan novel·la, romanç
- novel·lawork of prose fiction
- romançwork of prose fiction
Chinese Cantonese 新穎 /新颖, 小說 /小说
- 新穎 /新颖new, original, especially in an interesting way
- 小說 /小说 (siu² syut³)work of prose fiction
Chinese Mandarin 新穎 /新颖, 小說 /小说
- 新穎 /新颖 (xīnyǐng)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- 小說 /小说 (xiǎoshuō)work of prose fiction
Czech originální, neotřelý
- originálnínew, original, especially in an interesting way
- neotřelýnew, original, especially in an interesting way
- románwork of prose fiction
- novelawork of prose fiction
Danish roman
- romanwork of prose fiction
Dutch nieuw, roman
- nieuwnew, original, especially in an interesting way
- romanwork of prose fiction
- novellework of prose fiction
Esperanto romano
- romanowork of prose fiction
Estonian romaan, novell
- romaanwork of prose fiction
- novellwork of prose fiction
Finnish uusi, uudenlainen
- uusinew, original, especially in an interesting way
- uudenlainennew, original, especially in an interesting way
- romaaniwork of prose fiction
French nouveau, nouvelle
- nouveaunew, original, especially in an interesting way
- nouvellenew, original, especially in an interesting way
- originalnew, original, especially in an interesting way
- originalenew, original, especially in an interesting way
- romanwork of prose fiction
- novelleTranslations
German neuartig, neu
- neuartignew, original, especially in an interesting way
- neunew, original, especially in an interesting way
- Romanwork of prose fiction
- Novellework of prose fiction
Greek πρωτότυπος, μυθιστόρημα
- πρωτότυπος (protótypos)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- μυθιστόρημα (mythistórima)work of prose fiction
- νουβέλα (nouvéla)work of prose fiction
Hebrew רוֹמָן
- רוֹמָן (román)work of prose fiction
Hindi नया, कथा
- नया (nayā)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- कथा (kathā)work of prose fiction
- कहानी (kahānī)work of prose fiction
- उपन्यास (upanyās)work of prose fiction
- नावेल (nāvel)work of prose fiction
Hungarian újfajta, regény
- újfajtanew, original, especially in an interesting way
- regénywork of prose fiction
Icelandic skáldsaga
- skáldsagawork of prose fiction
Indonesian novel
- novelwork of prose fiction
Irish úrscéal, nóibhille
- úrscéalwork of prose fiction
- nóibhillework of prose fiction
Italian nuovo, originale
- nuovonew, original, especially in an interesting way
- originalenew, original, especially in an interesting way
- romanzowork of prose fiction
- novellawork of prose fiction
- novellaTranslations
Japanese 新奇, 新型の
- 新奇 (shinki)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- 新型の (shingata no)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- 小説 (shōsetsu)work of prose fiction
Korean 소설
- 소설 (soseol)work of prose fiction
Latin novellus, fābula Rōmānēnsis
- novellusnew, original, especially in an interesting way
- fābula Rōmānēnsiswork of prose fiction
- fābula Mīlēsiawork of prose fiction
- mythistoriawork of prose fiction
Latvian romāns, novele
- romānswork of prose fiction
- novelework of prose fiction
Lithuanian romanas, novelė
- romanaswork of prose fiction
- novelėwork of prose fiction
Malay novel, roman
- novelwork of prose fiction
- romanwork of prose fiction
Māori pakimaero
- pakimaerowork of prose fiction
Norwegian Bokmål roman
- romanwork of prose fiction
Polish nowy, powieść
- nowynew, original, especially in an interesting way
- powieśćwork of prose fiction
- nowelawork of prose fiction
Portuguese novo, nova
- novonew, original, especially in an interesting way
- novanew, original, especially in an interesting way
- originalnew, original, especially in an interesting way
- romancework of prose fiction
- novelawork of prose fiction
Romanian nou, original
- nounew, original, especially in an interesting way
- originalnew, original, especially in an interesting way
- originalnew, original, especially in an interesting way
- romanwork of prose fiction
- nuvelăwork of prose fiction
Russian но́вый, оригина́льный
- но́вый (nóvyj)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- оригина́льный (originálʹnyj)new, original, especially in an interesting way
- рома́н (román)work of prose fiction
- по́весть (póvestʹ)work of prose fiction
- нове́лла (novɛ́lla)work of prose fiction
Scottish Gaelic nobhail
- nobhailwork of prose fiction
Slovak román, novela
- románwork of prose fiction
- novelawork of prose fiction
Spanish novedoso, novela
- novedosonew, original, especially in an interesting way
- novelawork of prose fiction
- romancework of prose fiction
Swahili -pya, riwaya
- -pyanew, original, especially in an interesting way
- riwayawork of prose fiction
Swedish roman
- romanwork of prose fiction
Tagalog nobela, akdang-buhay
- nobelawork of prose fiction
- akdang-buhaywork of prose fiction
- kathambuhaywork of prose fiction
Tamil நாவல், புதினம்
- நாவல் (nāval)work of prose fiction
- புதினம் (putiṉam)work of prose fiction
Thai แนวใหม่, นวนิยาย
- แนวใหม่new, original, especially in an interesting way
- นวนิยาย (ná-wá-ní-yaai)work of prose fiction
- นิยาย (ní-yaai)work of prose fiction
Turkish yeni, roman
- yeninew, original, especially in an interesting way
- romanwork of prose fiction
Ukrainian рома́н, нове́ла
- рома́н (román)work of prose fiction
- нове́ла (novéla)work of prose fiction
- по́вість (póvistʹ)work of prose fiction
Urdu ناوِل
- ناوِل (nāvil)work of prose fiction
Vietnamese tiểu thuyết
- tiểu thuyếtwork of prose fiction
Welsh nofel
- nofelwork of prose fiction
Yiddish ראָמאַן
- ראָמאַן (roman)work of prose fiction
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with novel
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
novel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/novel
“novel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/novel. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “novel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/novel.
Source: novel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.