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

Alexia has done it the right way, by putting in her time, forging bonds with all the women, and bringing more storylines than a decade’s worth of telenovelas. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2025

This game lets fans of telenovelas take on the outrageous characters and melodramatic plot twists to tell memorable stories. —Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

José has appeared in a variety of Latin shows and movies, making his debut in an episode of Eugenio’s sitcom La familia P. Luche in 2002 and then appearing as a series regular in multiple Mexican telenovelas, including Amores con trampa and Qué pobres tan ricos. —Makena Gera, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Even after a deal between Redstone and Ellison was finally announced last July, that wasn’t the end of this telenovela. —Chris Lee, Vulture, 31 July 2025

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