anime

noun

an·​i·​me ˈa-nə-ˌmā  ˈä-nē- 

: a style of animation originating in Japan that is characterized by stark colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots often with fantastic or futuristic themes

Examples of anime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kang noted that Demon Hunters’ visual style was consciously shaped by her lifelong love of anime and manhwa — Korean comics and graphic novels — and executed with careful attention to Korean linguistic and cultural nuances, even though the film’s lingua franca is American English. —Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026

Indian anime fans now average more than 60 minutes of daily viewing. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026

Hulu has hundreds of anime titles, including My Hero Academia and Himouto! —Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026

Thomas has a goal to be an illustrator for books with a focus on Japanese and anime styles. —Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, animation, short for animēshiyon, from English

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anime

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

anime

noun

an·​i·​me ˈan-ə-ˌmā  ˈä-nē- 

: a style of animation originating in Japan that has stark colorful graphics, action-filled plots, and often fantastic or futuristic themes

Etymology

from Japanese, literally, "animation," short for animēshiyon (from English)