space opera

noun

Definition of space opera

: a futuristic melodramatic fantasy involving space travelers and extraterrestrial beings

Examples of space opera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ubisoft's presser opted for meatiness, giving fans a long look at Beyond Good and Evil 2, which looks to be a huge earthy space opera, though detail are scarce about gameplay or release. — Julie Muncy, WIRED, "The Biggest Surprises (and Missed Opportunities) of the E3 Press Conferences," 12 June 2018 Now the universe George Lucas created could spin out in new and interesting ways that wouldn’t have to hew to the space opera conventions of the main Star Wars series. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Solo: A Star Wars Story is the safest, most forgettable Star Wars movie," 24 May 2018 The Expanse, the critically acclaimed adaptation of the James SA Corey space opera novels now in its third season, was cancelled by Syfy. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Has Amazon stepped up to save The Expanse from cancellation?," 22 May 2018 The hard truth about this just-OK Star Wars universe plug-in is that Howard simply may not be the best director of special-effects-heavy space operas. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "Review: Solo Is an Uneven Star Wars Film. But It's Filled With Terrific Performances," 16 May 2018 Star Wars created a culture and a phenomenon that helped pave the way for space opera science fiction in years to come. — Daniela Sternitzky-di Napoli, Houston Chronicle, "See iconic 'Star Wars' actors then and now for May 4th Star Wars Day," 4 May 2018 Unlike much space opera, this story centers on Chinese and Vietnamese customs instead of Western military conventions, and is all the more welcome for it. — New York Times, "10 New Books We Recommend This Week," 26 Apr. 2018 USA TODAY Marvel has pulled off all sorts of cinematic flavors in its 10-year legacy, from heist films and political thrillers to space operas and fantasy epics. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "Review: 'Avengers: Infinity War' offers a marvelous take on Shakespearean tragedy," 24 Apr. 2018 Old Man’s War and its sequels are his take on military science fiction, while last year’s Collapsing Empire was a new foray into space opera. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "John Scalzi’s Head On is a murder mystery set in a robot fighting league," 17 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'space opera.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of space opera was in 1941

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