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

In their video works, Phil Colllins and Christian Jankowski both edit together various scenes from telenovelas, both imagined and real, respectively, as a way to draw attention to these recurring motifs. — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Latin America brings its own long history of serialized television drama, rooted in telenovelas that have been produced across the region since the 1950s and have traveled widely across borders. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

From telenovelas to Hollywood superstardom, Salma Hayek’s trajectory has been a fascinating one. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2026

Vozinha is said to love Brazilian telenovelas and the singer Ivete Sangalo. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for telenovela

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