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

Directed by Naoya Ando, the film retells the iconic manga arc with brand-new subplots. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 May 2026

Then a representative of Gen Z showed me the Netflix live-action show One Piece, a rollicking pirate tale that is pulled from manga, and that is also a ’90s teen sitcom, a high-school theater production, and a fantasy-canon blender. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026

Attendees can also expect nonstop programming dedicated to anime, manga, fashion, music and Japanese culture. —Charlie Vargas, Oc Register, 19 May 2026

The market will also showcase a raft of manga works ripe for adaptation in a three-day event dedicated to Japanese IP. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 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