cartoon

noun

car·​toon kär-ˈtün How to pronounce cartoon (audio)
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
3
4
: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version
the film's villain is an entertaining cartoon
cartoon verb
cartooning noun
cartoonish adjective
cartoonishly adverb
cartoonist noun
cartoonlike adjective
cartoony adjective

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 In other words: the genocidal mind is not the preserve of cartoon monsters safely tucked away in history books. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 Even so, the cartoon given here is a reasonable statement about what exists today. Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 In light of the comparisons, Cockburn, who composed and performed the theme song for the cartoon series that ran from 1997-2004, is sharing his thoughts on the matter. Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 One post showed a cartoon of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Uncle Sam in a choke hold with a caption that said there will never be a free Palestine until the United States is free of Israel. Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024 In internal documents, Fischbach said, SNCC leaders described the hostile reaction to the cartoon as akin to a lynching. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 One thing the series has going for it is that the actors are of Asian and Indigenous descent, just as they were depicted in the cartoon. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 The House Education and Workforce Committee, which issued the subpoenas, also criticized the cartoon in its own tweet on Monday. Chris Isidore, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 This bird whisperer is keeping the 4,000-year-old tradition of falconry alive in L.A. The antisemitic cartoon roiling Harvard? Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cartoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cartoon was in 1671

Dictionary Entries Near cartoon

Cite this Entry

“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cartoon

noun
car·​toon kär-ˈtün How to pronounce cartoon (audio)
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
3
cartoonist 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

More from Merriam-Webster on cartoon

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