an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
"She couldn't put down the novel because the plot twists kept her guessing until the very last page."
a printed and bound book that is an extended work of fiction
"his bookcases were filled with nothing but novels"
"he burned all the novels"
A work of prose fiction, longer than a novella.
"After years of civil war, the Roman Senate finally drafted a novel to replace the crumbling old laws and restore order to the Republic."
A novelty; something new.
A new legal constitution in ancient Rome.
In plain English: A novel is a long story written in prose that tells the tale of real or imaginary characters and events.
"She finished reading her favorite novel over the weekend."
Usage: Use "novel" as a noun to refer to a long work of fiction written in prose, not to an ancient Roman legal document or something merely new. This specific literary meaning is the only correct usage in modern everyday conversation.
Newly made, formed or evolved; having no precedent; of recent origin; new.
"The team decided to develop a novel approach to solve the problem since none existed before."
In plain English: Novel means something that is new, original, or never seen before.
"She decided to read a mystery novel during her summer vacation."
Usage: Use "novel" as an adjective to describe something that is original, unique, or unlike anything seen before. Do not confuse it with the noun referring to a long fictional story.
The word "novel" entered English via Middle French and Old French as a diminutive form of the Latin novus, meaning "new." Originally describing something recent or strange, it retained this sense when adopted into modern usage.