animator

noun

an·​i·​ma·​tor ˈa-nə-ˌmā-tər 

plural animators

: someone or something that animates: such as

a

: an artist who is involved in creating animation for cartoons, films, video games, etc.

b

: a person who leads and encourages participation in an activity

… community animators mobilize individuals and organizations …

—Laura Payton and Bruce Deachman

Examples of animator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tongal’s first open project tied to the film invites animators to pitch their take of how to transform the game’s original characters from their 8-bit origins into 3D, with the the first character being former Raiders star Bo Jackson. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026

These opportunities were seized upon by the pioneering experimental animators of the Weimar Republic, including Walter Ruttmann, Lotte Reiniger, and Oskar Fischinger. —Michael Cowan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026

Ryan Collett is a writer, animator, and knitter. —Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026

In a similar vein, Dior tapped Danish animator Nina Gantz to create a tall tale about how a pony — with legs made of safety pins — sought to visit the moon with the help of clover leaves, a house symbol. —Denni Hu, Footwear News, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for animator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator
• calculator

Kids Definition

animator

noun

an·​i·​ma·​tor ˈan-ə-ˌmāt-ər 

: someone who makes an animated cartoon