plural cartoons
1
: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2
a
: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor
a political cartoon
a cartoon drawing
b
: a group of drawings in narrative sequence : comic strip
3
: a video (such as a television show or movie) that is made from a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects (such as puppets) and that simulates movement by slight progressive changes in each frame : animated cartoon
4
: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version
The film's villain is an entertaining cartoon.
cartoon
verb
cartoonishly
adverb
Examples of cartoon in a Sentence
She enjoys reading the cartoons in the Sunday paper.
The kids are watching cartoons.
Recent Examples on the Web
Inspired by both the classic cartoons of the 1930s and gritty noir detective movies of the same era, the black-and-white, first-person shooter game stars Baker as the main protagonist, mouse detective Jack Pepper.
—
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Like a cartoon villain, though, Paula kicks up the edge of the carpet, which causes poor Miriam to make a dog’s dinner of afternoon tea.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
The cartoon short's director, Walt Disney, had some significant commercial failures close behind him.
—Mark Lane, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Jeff MacNelly’s editorial cartoon on filing taxes is perhaps the most popular and surely the funniest single cartoon in Tribune history.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
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Jennifer Maas, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Like a cartoon villain, though, Paula kicks up the edge of the carpet, which causes poor Miriam to make a dog’s dinner of afternoon tea.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
The cartoon short's director, Walt Disney, had some significant commercial failures close behind him.
—Mark Lane, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Jeff MacNelly’s editorial cartoon on filing taxes is perhaps the most popular and surely the funniest single cartoon in Tribune history.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
Cite this Entry
“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cartoon
noun
car·toon
kär-ˈtün 
1
: a design, drawing, or painting made as a model for the finished work
2
a
: a drawing intended as a humorous comment on public affairs
b
3
Etymology
from Italian cartone "pasteboard, a sketch of a planned drawing or painting done on heavy paper," from carta "sheet of paper," from Latin charta "piece of papyrus" — related to card entry 3, carton
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