anime

noun

an·​i·​me ˈa-nə-ˌmā  ˈä-nē- 

: a style of animation originating in Japan that is characterized by stark colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots often with fantastic or futuristic themes

Examples of anime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sure, there are way too many people asking for drawings of obscure anime characters that are nearly impossible to pull off with the bare-bones MS-Paint-like tool in two-and-a-half minutes. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 15 Aug. 2026

With the ongoing proliferation of streaming services, international audiences have greater access to the large and diverse catalog of anime films than ever before, including these eight classics. — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026

The franchise has since spun off into a manga series, a trading card game, a long-running anime series and several movies. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Your Name became one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time, while Weathering with You became Japan’s official submission for the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, animation, short for animēshiyon, from English

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anime

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

anime

noun

an·​i·​me ˈan-ə-ˌmā  ˈä-nē- 

: a style of animation originating in Japan that has stark colorful graphics, action-filled plots, and often fantastic or futuristic themes

Etymology

from Japanese, literally, "animation," short for animēshiyon (from English)