telenovela

noun

tel·​e·​no·​vela ˌte-lə-nō-ˈve-lə How to pronounce telenovela (audio)
: a soap opera produced in and televised in or from many Latin American countries

Examples of telenovela in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Back in Queens, Betty’s family, including her father and sister, is watching a telenovela. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2023 Advertisement Entertainment & Arts Not your abuela’s telenovelas: How Spanish-language streamers are shaking up TV June 14, 2023 MEXICO Cecilia (Paramount+). Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023 Part of that is a result of longer episode counts for successful K-dramas and Spanish-language telenovelas, which often produce dozens of episodes per season. Vulture, 12 Dec. 2023 Omar Ayuso, who shares the same name as his character, is a pillar of the teen telenovela Elite. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2023 Carlos Fernández, who plays Pablo, is a Cuban actor who has worked in series and telenovelas in Cuba. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 29 Nov. 2023 Fans of the popular pop-rock music group and Rebelde telenovela will love the instant collection of the beloved group. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 14 Nov. 2023 Tita, my 93-year-old grandmother — the anchor of our large extended family in Costa Rica, the stern force of a woman who loved her garden and telenovelas and helped raise eight children, 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren — had died. Katty Huertas, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2023 The iconic Rolling Stones frontman appeared in a Spanish telenovela skit and Sister Act 3 parody, while The Mandalorian star helped translate the rapper-singer’s monologue and appeared alongside him in a sketch about an overprotective mother. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'telenovela.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from tele- tele- + novela novel, serial drama

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of telenovela was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near telenovela

Cite this Entry

“Telenovela.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telenovela. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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