telenovela
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of telenovela
First recorded in 1960–65; from Spanish, equivalent to tele- tele- 1 ( def. ) + novela “novel, serial drama”; see novel 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Indeed, the 44-year-old -- the son of popular telenovela actress Maria Sorte -- has become something of a folk superhero in a country worn down by violence, with the looks and attitude to match.
From Barron's ● May 10, 2026
But attracting the broadest pool of viewers and marketers might turn on whether microdrama can expand beyond its current telenovela and Hallmark Channel style to other genres.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
I just was like, I want to make the telenovela and set it to disco music … something electronic, glamorous.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2025
Some of the Twickenham scripts would have been shredded as too outlandish by a telenovela writers' room.
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2025
Through the window, I could see she had fallen asleep on her recliner while watching her favorite telenovela, El comandante y la duquesa.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
