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noun B1 Intermediate Uncommon

novelist

NO-vuh-lihst

Novelist (noun) means a person who writes novels. Example: “The novelist spent five years researching her historical epic.”

noun
1
A person who writes novels.
"The novelist spent five years researching her historical epic."

How to Use Novelist

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomeone whose job or craft is writing novels.

Common pairings
bestselling novelist aspiring novelist

Word Forms

novelists plural

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Can you complete this real example?

The _____ spent five years researching her historical epic.

Etymology

From "novel" + the suffix "-ist," meaning "one who does."

Related Words

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “novelist” mean?

The word “novelist” means a person who writes novels. In plain terms, someone whose job or craft is writing novels.

How do you pronounce “novelist”?

“Novelist” is pronounced NO-vuh-lihst (/ˈnɑvəlɪst/ in IPA).

How do you use “novelist” in a sentence?

Here is “novelist” used in a sentence: “The novelist spent five years researching her historical epic.”

What part of speech is “novelist”?

“Novelist” is a noun.

Is “novelist” a common word?

“Novelist” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

What is the difference between a novelist and an author?

An author is a general term for anyone who writes a published work, including nonfiction, essays, or articles, while a novelist specifically refers to someone who writes novels, meaning long works of fiction. Every novelist is an author, but not every author is a novelist.

What is the difference between a novelist and a screenwriter?

A novelist writes prose fiction intended to be read as a book, while a screenwriter writes scripts intended for film or television production, with dialogue and formatting suited to visual performance rather than narrative prose.

Do novelists only write fiction?

By definition, a novelist is a person who writes novels, which are works of fiction, so the term specifically applies to fiction writing rather than nonfiction, even if the same person also writes nonfiction under a different title, such as author or writer.

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