SINCE 1828
car·toon
| \ kär-ˈtün
\
\
Definition of cartoon
1
: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2a
: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor
a political cartoon
b
: comic strip
3
: animated cartoon
4
: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version
the film's villain is an entertaining cartoon
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Other Words from cartoon
cartoon
verb
cartooning
\ kär-ˈtü-niŋ
\
noun
\
noun
cartoonish
\ kär-ˈtü-nish
\
adjective
\
adjective
cartoonishly
adverb
cartoonist
\ kär-ˈtü-nist
\
noun
\
noun
cartoonlike
\ kär-ˈtün-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
cartoony
\ kär-ˈtü-nē
\
adjective
\
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
Lili, 56, said in France, Crockett was very popular in cartoons and literature as an adventurer. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "The Alamo celebrates Davy Crockett’s 233rd birthday anniversary," 17 Aug. 2019 Dandro’s personification of himself is blank-eyed, messy-haired, Calvin-esque; and the illustrations shift between evocative abstraction, classic cartoon, and rich, realistic detail. — Nina Maclaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, "Growing pains, family ties, and a larger-than-life lawyer," 1 Aug. 2019 Yes, the dry land where no one is a cartoon, and where people breathe oxygen, eat fish, and hang out with David Hasselhoff — the former Baywatch actor and beloved-in-Germany pop star makes a guest appearance as himself. — Allegra Frank, Vox, "SpongeBob SquarePants becomes human in his big birthday special. Almost.," 2 July 2019 This was accompanied by a cartoon of two men, one wearing overalls and toting a toolbox and the other with a suit and briefcase. — Ben Zimmer, The Atlantic, "How ‘People Who Shower After Work’ Became a Political Talking Point," 31 July 2019 Fortune PBS produces the first children’s show that centers on an Alaska Native family Molly of Denali sounds like a delight, a cartoon about a 10-year-old Athabascan girl with a video blog that describes the ins-and-outs of life in rural Alaska. — Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, "Confronting Bias In A.I.: raceAhead," 16 July 2019 Inspired by the power of a charismatic cartoon, the War Advertising Council dreamed up Smokey in his ranger’s hat and dungarees. — Lyndsie Bourgon, Smithsonian, "A Brief History of Smokey Bear, the Forest Service’s Legendary Mascot," 10 July 2019 The design is based on Paw Patrol, a popular cartoon featuring a group of search and rescue dogs. — Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al.com, "6-year old Alabama drowning victim gets Paw Patrol final resting place," 10 July 2019 Rather than watching cartoons, the family focuses on books, which is why good reads are stashed in every room. — Jennifer Blaise Kramer, House Beautiful, "This Home Is the Ultimate Island Getaway, No Matter Your Age," 28 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cartoon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Dictionary Entries near cartoon
Statistics for cartoon
Last Updated
3 Sep 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for cartoon
The first known use of cartoon was in 1671
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More Definitions for cartoon
cartoon
noun
English Language Learners Definition of cartoon
: a drawing in a newspaper or magazine intended as a humorous comment on something
: a series of drawings that tell a story
: a film or television show made by photographing a series of drawings : an animated film or television show
See the full definition for cartoon in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cartoon
noun
car·toon
| \ kär-ˈtün
\
\
Kids Definition of cartoon
1
: a movie or television program made by photographing a series of drawings
2
: a drawing (as in a newspaper) making people or objects look funny or foolish
3
: comic strip
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