telenovela

noun

tel·​e·​no·​vela ˌte-lə-nō-ˈve-lə 

: 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

With hair teased to the gods, McCarthy partnered with the beloved beauty brand to star in a telenovela that was oozing with can't-look-away drama, steamy romance, and lots of hot-pink Glow Reviver Lip Oil. —Christina Perrier, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026

Only one, Mexico, canned it after one season and that was after an almost telenovela-length first run of episodes. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026

Over the decades, Wuthering Heights has inspired any number of telenovelas, and this slick, fevered 2019 Venezuelan miniseries is a good example of how Emily Brontë’s tale maps onto the rhythms of a soap opera. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026

Cosmetics' Super Bowl ad, out today, which was inspired by a classic telenovela and furthers the brand's Descubre e.l.f.ecto series. —Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for telenovela

• selaginella
• arabella
• bartonella
• bordetella
• cinderella
• citronella
• columella
• isabella
• klebsiella
• legionella
• mozzarella
• pasteurella