English Explanatory Dictionary

novel

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Newly made, formed or evolved; having no precedent; of recent origin; new.
  2. Original, especially in an interesting way; new and striking; not of the typical or ordinary type.
noun
  1. A work of prose fiction, longer than a novella.
  2. A fable; a short tale, especially one of many making up a larger work.
noun
  1. A novelty; something new.
noun
  1. A new legal constitution in ancient Rome.

Pronunciation

nŏvʹəl /ˈnɒvəl/ [ˈnɒvl̩] nävʹəl /ˈnavəl/ en-us-novel.ogg

Word forms

novel more novel most novel novels

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

new all-new brand new brand spanking new cherry fresh freshly made green hot mint nascent newish new-laid novel pristine red-hot unused verdurous virgin virginal youthful unusual

Related words

nova novum novelty

Derived words

novelly novelness airport novel antinovel anti-novel blognovel cybernovel dime novel e-novel graphic novel historical novel holonovel hypernovel I-novel kinetic novel light novel meganovel nonfiction novel non-fiction novel nonnovel novelcraft noveldom novelese novelesque novelette novelisation novelization novelise novelish novelism novelist novelize novellike novelwright photonovel Russian novel effect seminovel sensation novel silver fork novel telenovel trunk novel Twitter novel twovel visual novel webnovel
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