formal
: having life : alive or living
The lecture was about ancient worship of animate and inanimate objects.
animates; animated; animating
1
: to make (someone or something) lively or excited
A smile animated [=brightened] his face.
The writer's humor animates the novel.
2
: to make (something, such as a drawing) appear to move by creating a series of drawings, pictures, etc., and showing them quickly one after another : to make (something) appear to move by using the process of animation
The film's very realistic dinosaurs were animated on computers.
Cite this Entry
“Animate.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/animate. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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