1. A fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity, portraying characters and usually presenting a sequential organization of action and scenes.
2. A fictional prose work with a relatively long and often complex plot, usually divided into chapters, in which the story traditionally develops through the thoughts and actions of its characters.
3. Etymology: the meaning of "fictitious narrative" came from Italian novella, "short story"; but originally it meant "new story" from Latin novella, "new things" based on Middle French novelle, then French nouvelle, a form of novellus.

1. A reference to being new and different, often in an interesting, unusual, or inventive way.
2. Relating to that which is strikingly new, unusual, or different; of recent origin or introduction; not ancient; new; hence, out of the ordinary course; unusual; strange; surprising.

Everything at its first occurrence is considered to be new; that is, novel or which is so much out of the ordinary course of existence so as to strike people with surprise.

3. Etymology: "new, strange, unusual"; from Middle French novel, "new, fresh, recent"; from French nouveau, nouvelle; from Old French, which came from Latin novellus, "new, young, recent"; diminutive of novus "new".