novel
novel Lexical Profile
novel Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A book-length work of narrative prose fiction that portrays characters, settings, and a complex sequence of events, typically published as a standalone volume.
"She spent the entire weekend reading a historical novel set in nineteenth-century London."
In Roman and civil law, a new decree or supplemental constitution issued by an emperor, especially one of those enacted by Justinian after the promulgation of his main legal code.
"Legal historians examined the imperial novels to understand how Byzantine inheritance laws evolved."
• adjective
New, original, and striking, especially in a way that has not been seen, known, or experienced before.
"The research team proposed a novel approach to recycling industrial plastics without using harsh chemicals."
• Rhymes for novel
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The adjective entered Middle English in the 15th century from Old French 'novel', while the literary noun was borrowed in the 16th century from Italian 'novella' ('a new story'), both deriving from Latin 'novellus' ('new, young, recent'), a diminutive of 'novus' ('new').