Novel
ˈnɒvəl
Definitions
2 meaningsA fictional prose narrative of considerable length.
ˈnɒvəl
A long work of fiction.
He is writing a novel about his childhood.
💡 Simply: A 'novel' is like a whole book of stories—it's a long, made-up adventure. It's like your favorite TV show, but in writing! For example, "I love reading adventure novels on vacation!"
👶 For kids: A novel is a long story made up by someone.
More Examples
The novel explores themes of love and loss.
The novel won the prestigious Booker Prize.
How It's Used
"She spent her evenings reading novels."
New or original in character; of a new kind.
ˈnɒvəl
New or unusual.
The artist used a novel technique to create the painting.
💡 Simply: 'Novel' means something is new and different, not the same as what you've seen before. Like finding a 'novel' toy that you've never seen! For example, "She found a novel solution to the problem."
👶 For kids: Novel means something brand new!
More Examples
They came up with a novel idea for the project.
The novel concept attracted a lot of attention.
How It's Used
"The company introduced a novel approach to marketing."
"The scientist observed a novel phenomenon."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
novel coronavirus
A new strain of coronavirus.
"The novel coronavirus caused a global pandemic."
From Old French *novel* (new), ultimately from Latin *novus* (new). The term initially referred to short stories but evolved to encompass longer fictional works.
Initially, 'novel' referred to short, entertaining stories. Its meaning expanded over time to encompass longer prose fiction.
Memory tip
Think of a 'novel' as a long, winding road of a story.