What does novelette mean?
A novelette is a very short novel or long short story, usually presenting a compact literary narrative with a distinct setting, character, or central conflict. It is shorter than a novella but generally longer and more developed than a conventional short story. Writers and publishers use the term especially for fiction that condenses a novelistic story into a brief, focused work. In everyday conversation, someone might simply say short story, but novelette can carry a more literary or polished association. The word is also useful when describing a work that has the form and development of a novel but can be read in a single sitting. Although the distinction between a novelette and a novella varies, novelette generally implies the shorter of the two.
nounA short novel or long short story, typically a work of literary fiction that is shorter and more concentrated than a full-length novel. The term can also refer more generally to a brief novelistic work.
- A short novel or long short story, especially a work of literary fiction.
- A brief novelistic work, sometimes used more broadly for a compact piece of prose fiction.
"She read a delicate novelette about a family reunion that had been planned for decades."
"The magazine published her novelette in its spring issue."
"The novella-length story was condensed into a novelette for the anthology."
The regular plural is novelettes.
"The collection contains several novelettes by emerging writers."
A novelette is a novel in miniature: long enough to develop a character and story, but short enough to be read in a single sitting.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does novelette come from?
Novelette is a diminutive of novel, formed in English in the 19th century with the suffix -ette, meaning a smaller or reduced form. Novel itself comes through French from the Italian novella, a feminine form of nuovo, meaning new, and ultimately from Latin novus. The related noun novella originally referred to a new or fashionable literary work, while novelist developed from the same literary root. The term novelette reflects this history by combining the idea of a novel with the suffix used to indicate something smaller.
How novelette is actually used
Novelette is most often used for literary fiction and can suggest a work shorter than a novella, although the boundary between the two terms is not always precise. It is less common in everyday speech than novel or short story.
Easily confused with novelette
A novelette is generally a very short novel, whereas a novella is usually longer and more substantial, though the distinction between the terms can vary between publishers and literary traditions.