manga

noun

man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə 

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

Meanwhile, surrounding it is the Japan Center Mall, which houses the Kinokuniya Bookstore, offering a wide selection of Japanese literature and manga. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

Titles with a strong focus on comics, manga and webtoon production developed by The Orangery have been published in more than 25 countries, reaching sales of over 3 million copies, according to a WME statement. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026

The animation is a combination of 3D CGI and anime’s traditional 2D style — where scenes are shot at 12 frames per second instead of the standard 24 fps of classic Western animation — giving the films a more comic book/manga feel. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026

The manga genre known as Boys’ Love, or BL, which spins tales of gay romance, is also geared toward a female audience. —Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for manga

• ganga
• pampanga

Kids Definition

manga

noun

man·​ga ˈmäŋ-gə 

: a Japanese comic book or graphic novel