cartoon

noun

car·​toon kär-ˈtün 

often attributive

1

: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)

2

a

: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor

a political cartoon

b

: comic strip

3

: animated cartoon

4

: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version

the film's villain is an entertaining cartoon

cartoon verb

cartooning

kär-ˈtü-niŋ 

noun

cartoonish

kär-ˈtü-nish 

adjective

cartoonishly adverb

cartoonist

kär-ˈtü-nist 

noun

cartoonlike

kär-ˈtün-ˌlīk 

adjective

cartoony

kär-ˈtü-nē 

adjective

Synonyms

• delineation
• drawing
• sketch

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

Donald Duck initially started as a minor character The notoriously grumpy made his first cartoon appearance on June 9, 1934 as a supporting character in the short The Wise Little Hen. —Chantelle Lee, TIME, 9 June 2024

Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA 'HAPPY PRIDE' – Google 'Doodle' recognizes lesbian activist, not D-Day on June 6. —Fox News, 7 June 2024

Family Guy Speaking of Seth MacFarlane cartoons, Lynch also voiced himself in an extremely brief cutaway cameo in an episode of Family Guy in a 2016 Christmas episode. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 6 June 2024

Across political cartoons and inside jokes, Guston’s voice takes shape. —Walker Mimms, New York Times, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta leaf of paper — more at card entry 1

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cartoon

• animated cartoon
• strip cartoon

Kids 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

: comic strip

3

: animated cartoon

cartoonist

-ˈtü-nəst 

noun

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