Meanings
plural space operas
- countableuncountableinitially derogatoryA subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes space travel, romantic adventure, and larger-than-life characters often set against vast exotic settings.
A new Netflix TV series of Star Trek has been rumoured. And Christopher Nolan is sending Matthew McConaughey through a wormhole in his new film, Interstellar. Could the space opera be making a comeback?
2014 June 12, Nicholas Barber, “Out of this world: are space operas making a comeback?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN1 more example
SUGGESTION DEPT: In these hectic days of phrase-coining, we offer one. Westerns are called "horse operas", the morning housewife tear-jerkers are called "soap operas". For the hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn space-ship yarn, or world-saving for that matter, we offer "space opera"
1941 January, "Bob" Tucker, “Archived copy”, in Le Zombie, number 36, archived from the original on 13 May 2008, page 9 - countableuncountableA subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialization.
- countableA work or production in this style.
Origin
Coined by American writer Wilson Tucker in 1941, modelled on horse opera (“western”) and soap opera, see quotations. Originally describing a specific, hackneyed science fiction writing style.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 太空歌劇 /太空歌剧
- 太空歌劇 /太空歌剧 (tàikōng gējù)subgenre of speculative fiction
Czech vesmírná opera, space opera
- vesmírná operaa work or production
- space operaa work or production
- vesmírná operasubgenre of speculative fiction
- space operasubgenre of speculative fiction
- vesmírná operasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
- space operasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
Dutch ruimteopera, ruimteopera
- ruimteoperaa work or production
- ruimteoperasubgenre of speculative fiction
- ruimteoperasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
Estonian kosmoseooper, kosmoseooper
- kosmoseoopera work or production
- kosmoseoopersubgenre of speculative fiction
- kosmoseoopersubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
Finnish avaruusooppera, avaruusooppera
- avaruusoopperaa work or production
- avaruusoopperasubgenre of speculative fiction
- avaruusoopperasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
German Weltraumoper, Space Opera
- Weltraumopera work or production
- Space Operaa work or production
- Weltraumopersubgenre of speculative fiction
- Space Operasubgenre of speculative fiction
- Weltraumopersubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
- Space Operasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
Hungarian űropera, űropera
- űroperaa work or production
- űroperasubgenre of speculative fiction
- űroperasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
Italian epopea spaziale
- epopea spazialesubgenre of speculative fiction
Polish opera kosmiczna, space opera
- opera kosmicznaa work or production
- space operaa work or production
- opera kosmicznasubgenre of speculative fiction
- space operasubgenre of speculative fiction
- opera kosmicznasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
- space operasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
Russian косми́ческая о́пера, космоо́пера
- косми́ческая о́пера (kosmíčeskaja ópera)a work or production
- космоо́пера (kosmoópera)a work or production
- косми́ческая о́пера (kosmíčeskaja ópera)subgenre of speculative fiction
- космоо́пера (kosmoópera)subgenre of speculative fiction
- косми́ческая о́пера (kosmíčeskaja ópera)subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
- космоо́пера (kosmoópera)subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
Swedish rymdopera, rymdsåpa
- rymdoperaa work or production
- rymdsåpaa work or production
- rymdoperasubgenre of speculative fiction
- rymdsåpasubgenre of speculative fiction
- rymdoperasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
- rymdsåpasubgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation
Cite this entry
space opera. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/space%20opera
“space opera.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/space%20opera. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “space opera,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/space%20opera.
Source: space opera on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.