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

An exhibition of cars called itasha that are decorated with images of characters from anime, manga or video games returns to the convention. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 15 Nov. 2025

Based on Shogo Imamura's novel and its subsequent manga adaptation, the Netflix series unfolds in Japan in 1878, roughly 10 years after the Boshin War helped end the Edo period and usher in the Meiji Restoration, during which the samurai's influence waned. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025

Much of the strongest pushback has come from Hollywood and other entertainment interests, including the Japanese manga industry. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025

That’s helped largely by its massive opening in Japan, where Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga-to-Crunchyroll-to-cinema adaptation broke into the country’s top 100 highest-grossing movies of all time. —Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

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