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

Kate del Castillo has built her career across telenovelas and films, tackling complex characters in genres ranging from comedy to action. —Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Improv team Lirrer will present improvisation based in the beloved tradition of telenovelas. —Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025

Zawierucha, who portrayed Roman Polanski in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, will be paired with Latin American actor Ochmann, the popular Mexican actor known for telenovelas such as Amarte Asi, El Chema and El Clon, in the lead roles. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2025

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

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