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
cartoonishly
adverb
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
The show’s engine runs on frenetic cartoon logic and a dizzying cast of one-off characters like 3D Squelton, Count Groxia, God and Ronald Regan.
—
Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Animated characters like Tony the Tiger, Count Chocula and Fred Flintstone blurred the line between ads and morning cartoons.
—Alice Callahan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Rietz prepared accordingly, downloading some podcasts to her phone for herself, along with some cartoons, which were part of her 4-year-old daughter’s weekend routine.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
That could be in cartoons, video games, books, television shows, movies and, yes, music.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
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Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Animated characters like Tony the Tiger, Count Chocula and Fred Flintstone blurred the line between ads and morning cartoons.
—Alice Callahan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Rietz prepared accordingly, downloading some podcasts to her phone for herself, along with some cartoons, which were part of her 4-year-old daughter’s weekend routine.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
That could be in cartoons, video games, books, television shows, movies and, yes, music.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
Cite this Entry
“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cartoon
noun
car·toon
kär-ˈtün 
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
b
3
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
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