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 adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s classic manga is backed by Lionsgate. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 9 July 2026

Highlights include work by Norman Rockwell and Dorothea Lange, as well as a variety of manga, children’s book illustrations and comics. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Hyo and his fellow producers began by scouting manga artists over social media and commissioning some 200 pieces of concept art imagining the Vapor’s possible forms. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026

Fool Night, Kasumi Yasuda’s manga that first came out in 2020, is set in a world facing a serious oxygen shortage, as humanity builds a society that relies on the meager amount of oxygen provided by a technology called Transfloration. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 June 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