animator

noun

an·​i·​ma·​tor ˈa-nə-ˌmā-tər 

plural animators

: someone or something that animates: such as

a

: an artist who is involved in creating animation for cartoons, films, video games, etc.

b

: a person who leads and encourages participation in an activity

… community animators mobilize individuals and organizations …

—Laura Payton and Bruce Deachman

Examples of animator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Once the match was achieved, the frames were sent back to the animators to polish each one. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026

The Windsor McCay Award, recognizing lifetime career contributions, will be presented to Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, animator-writer-director Michaël Dudok de Wit and writer-director Chris Sanders. —Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026

Duwaji, an illustrator and animator, wore a funnel-neck brown coat with brown lace-up boots. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 Jan. 2026

Here’s the first job on this list to dip below six figures in median salary, which is $99,800 for animators. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for animator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator
• calculator

Kids Definition

animator

noun

an·​i·​ma·​tor ˈan-ə-ˌmāt-ər 

: someone who makes an animated cartoon