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

The series is based on the best-selling manga + light novel franchise, which has sold over 56 million copies. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 25 Feb. 2026

Clamp, an all-female manga group, wrote popular works like the dystopian Tokyo Babylon, featuring a toxic, sublimated romance between two boys. —E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026

Based on a manga by Tomoko Yamashita, the series takes its name from the loose central conceit, in which one of the two main characters — sweet but sheltered 15-year-old Asa — keeps a journal recording her daily thoughts in the weeks and months following a car crash that takes her parents’ lives. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026

Kit Wan Studios focuses on the interaction between humans and technology — and draws inspiration from mechanical aesthetics, manga and sci-fi subcultures. —Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 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