a radio or television serial drama of a highly melodramatic, sentimental nature
Origin of soap opera
so called because many of the original sponsors were manufacturers of soaps or detergentssoap opera
soap opera
noun
The definition of a soap opera is a highly dramatic radio or television show.
An example of a soap opera is the daily television drama Days of Our Lives.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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Soap opera. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/soap-opera
soap opera
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"Soap opera." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/soap-opera.
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soap opera
noun
- A drama, typically performed as a serial on daytime television or radio, characterized by stock characters and situations, sentimentality, and melodrama.
- A series of experiences characterized by dramatic displays of emotion.
Origin of soap opera
From its originally having been sponsored by soap companiesTHE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"Soap opera." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/soap-opera.
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Soap opera. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/soap-opera
Noun
(plural soap operas)
- A radio or television serial, typically broadcast in the afternoon or evening, about the lives of melodramatic characters, which are often filled with strong emotions, highly dramatic situations and suspense.
Origin
From soap + opera: soap from the soap and detergent commercials originally broadcast during the shows, which were aimed at women who were cleaning their house at the time of viewing; opera from the melodramatic character of the shows.
Adjective
soap-opera
- attributive form of soap opera, noun.
- a soap-opera fanzine
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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"Soap opera." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/soap-opera.
APA Style
Soap opera. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/soap-opera
