1
Core quality
New, original, or strikingly different from what has been known or used before.
Example
The researchers developed a novel approach to mapping erosion.
novel
/ˈnɒvəl/ · NOV-uladjective
New, original, or strikingly different from what has been known or used before.
Use novel to express this relationship precisely: new, original, or strikingly different from what has been known or used before.
What novel Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
The device combines familiar parts in a novel way.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
A genuinely novel hypothesis must still be tested.
Use novel Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The researchers developed a novel approach to mapping erosion.
The device combines familiar parts in a novel way.
A genuinely novel hypothesis must still be tested.
Precision Matters
Novel overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
novel
vs.Means new, original, or strikingly different from what has been known or used before.
innovative
Means introducing or using new ideas, methods, or materials.
novel
vs.Means new, original, or strikingly different from what has been known or used before.
inventive
Means creative, resourceful, and skilled at producing original ideas or solutions.
novel
vs.Means new, original, or strikingly different from what has been known or used before.
unoriginal
Means lacking originality, novelty, or independent invention.
novel
vs.Means new, original, or strikingly different from what has been known or used before.
unconventional
Means not conforming to what is generally done, expected, or believed.
Test novel in Context
The method is new and original in this field.
1
The team proposed a ___ method that had never before been applied to ancient pigments.