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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And with microdramas and their fast-paced, high stakes storytelling often compared to soap operas and telenovelas, Nic Westaway, who played Kyle Braxton in 368 episodes of the Australian soap Home and Away, has found virtually non-stop work on microdramas since arriving in Vancouver. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 18 Dec. 2025 In the evenings, when Cuban television’s biggest channel broadcasts the next chapter of its telenovela, households across Miami follow along via satellite. Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 9 Dec. 2025 The Real Drama About Microdramas What do Colombinas watch most, linear TV, powered by telenovelas, or global streaming services, led by Netflix? John Hopewell, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025 The move into making dramas in the micro format figures for Inter Medya because a lot of the series in the micro-drama world are telenovela-esque, with dramatic and soapy arcs and a large number of episodes, and Inter Medya is well-versed in the traditional long form of the telenovela. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for telenovela

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

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Cite this Entry

“Telenovela.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telenovela. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.

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