manga

noun

man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə 

plural manga also mangas

: Japanese comic books and graphic novels considered collectively as a genre

The characters' faces beam the big-eyed, manically jolly winsomeness that in anime and manga signals contentment.

—Peter Schjeldahl

also : an individual comic book or graphic novel of the manga genre

This black-and-white manga is based on the Japanese animated TV series of the same name …

—Library Journal

Examples of manga in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The series currently encompasses nine sub-series arcs, standalone novels, novellas, English-language manga and graphic novels. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026

In fifth grade, Burke started reading manga, which inspired him to start writing his own stories and poems. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026

The multimedia urban fantasy franchise soon gained popularity among both ENGENEs – ENHYPEN’s fandom – and general webtoon and manga readers. — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Based on Osamu Tezuka’s 1953 manga Princess Knight, the film centers on Sapphire, who loses her kingdom of Silverland to a catastrophe. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, comic, cartoon, from man- involuntary, aimless + -ga picture

First Known Use

circa 1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for manga

• ganga
• pampanga

Kids Definition

manga

noun

man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə 

: a Japanese comic book or graphic novel