manga

noun

man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə How to pronounce manga (audio)
plural manga also mangas
: Japanese comic books and graphic novels considered collectively as a genre
The characters' faces beam the big-eyed, manically jolly winsomeness that in anime and manga signals contentment.Peter Schjeldahl
also : an individual comic book or graphic novel of the manga genre
This black-and-white manga is based on the Japanese animated TV series of the same name … Library Journal

Examples of manga in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Sign up for the Style Memo newsletter. O’Malley, influenced by manga and anime, jumped at the chance to work with the noted Japanese anime studio Science Saru for a Netflix project. Michael Cavna, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023 For now, Crunchyroll’s games offering seems like a nice bonus, not unlike the digital manga included in the subscription’s higher tiers. Andrew Webster, The Verge, 7 Nov. 2023 The manga takes place in a fantastical world where pirates and marines battle for control over the Blue Sea. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 2 Sep. 2023 The streaming giant is selling action figures and apparel inspired by a new show based on a popular Japanese manga called One Piece. Paige Hagy, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2023 Continuing with the Japanese IP leverage theme, a new Tokyo Story Market initiative focuses on selling the rights for manga and novels for film adaptations overseas, with four of the biggest domestic publishers participating — Kadokawa, Kodansha, Shogakukan and Shueisha. Gavin J Blair, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023 Boys’ Love, or ‘BL’ as it is also known, was once a minor and lightly regarded type of Japanese manga catering mainly to female fans, delivering stories of handsome young guys falling in love with each other. Mark Schilling, Variety, 25 Oct. 2023 What his work reminds me of the most, weirdly enough, is certain examples of post-punk manga. Gyasi Hall, Longreads, 12 Sep. 2023 The most important thing is whether the actors can reproduce the characters in a way that will satisfy the people who read the manga. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'manga.' 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

Japanese, comic, cartoon, from man- involuntary, aimless + -ga picture

First Known Use

circa 1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manga was circa 1951

Dictionary Entries Near manga

Cite this Entry

“Manga.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manga. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

manga

noun
man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə How to pronounce manga (audio)
: a Japanese comic book or graphic novel

More from Merriam-Webster on manga

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