cartoon

noun

car·​toon kär-ˈtün How to pronounce cartoon (audio)
plural cartoons
1
: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2
a
: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor
a political cartoon
a cartoon drawing
b
: a group of drawings in narrative sequence : comic strip
3
: a video (such as a television show or movie) that is made from a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects (such as puppets) and that simulates movement by slight progressive changes in each frame : animated cartoon
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Igor Jesus, one of the breakout stars of the Club World Cup, celebrates his goals by imitating a character from a Japanese cartoon. Jack Lang, New York Times, 27 June 2025 The show received mixed to positive reviews for the storyline that reimagines the cartoon character come to life in modern day New York. Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2025 But this week, Park County — the business entity behind the long-running satirical cartoon — alleged that Ellison’s associates crossed the line by interfering with its negotiations with other companies. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025 Laugh Lines: Test your knowledge of classic New Yorker cartoons. P.S. Erin Neil, New Yorker, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for cartoon

Word History

Etymology

Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta leaf of paper — more at card entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cartoon was circa 1684

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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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