cartoon

noun

car·​toon kär-ˈtün 

often attributive

1

: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)

2

a

: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor

a political cartoon

b

: comic strip

3

: animated cartoon

4

: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version

the film's villain is an entertaining cartoon

cartoon verb

cartooning

kär-ˈtü-niŋ 

noun

cartoonish

kär-ˈtü-nish 

adjective

cartoonishly adverb

cartoonist

kär-ˈtü-nist 

noun

cartoonlike

kär-ˈtün-ˌlīk 

adjective

cartoony

kär-ˈtü-nē 

adjective

Synonyms

• delineation
• drawing
• sketch

Examples of cartoon in a Sentence

She enjoys reading the cartoons in the Sunday paper.

The kids are watching cartoons.

Recent Examples on the Web

There is definitely an old-time Saturday-morning cartoon aspect to the action and violence, and Boy’s inner monologue filtered through Benjamin makes that connection even stronger. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024

Park spent a good deal of time watching the Disney Channel, cartoons, and movies like Mean Girls. —Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2024

Gary Larson was an American artist who popularized a single-panel cartoon that could be visually absorbed in a tableau. —Dave Itzkoff, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA 'WILD RIDE' – Ultra Right Beer founder talks success of 'woke-free' brand one year later. —Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024

The movie takes place before the events of the studio’s 2019 photorealistic reimagining, rather than the 1994 cartoon. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024

The character was first created for the acclaimed 1992 Saturday morning cartoon Batman: The Animated Series and quickly became a fan favorite, jumping from the TV screen to comic-book pages. —Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

In cartoons, cars can fly, fish can sing and, apparently, babies can sell drugs. —Kyle Bowser, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024

Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA PLATFORM PROBLEMS – Trump, Zuckerberg battle shaping debate over TikTok ban. —Fox News, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta leaf of paper — more at card entry 1

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cartoon

• animated cartoon
• strip cartoon

Kids Definition

cartoon

noun

car·​toon kär-ˈtün 

1

: a design, drawing, or painting made as a model for the finished work

2

a

: a drawing intended as a humorous comment on public affairs

b

: comic strip

3

: animated cartoon

cartoonist

-ˈtü-nəst 

noun

Etymology

from Italian cartone "pasteboard, a sketch of a planned drawing or painting done on heavy paper," from carta "sheet of paper," from Latin charta "piece of papyrus" — related to card entry 3, carton