animation

noun

an·​i·​ma·​tion ˌa-nə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce animation (audio)
plural animations
1
: the act of animating : the state of being animate or animated
2
: a movie, scene, or sequence that simulates movement from a series of still frames (such as drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects moved incrementally)
His work often condenses stories of intricate subjects into brief looping animations.Paul Tough
The work, titled Bigger Christmas Trees, was created on an iPad and features ten minutes of animation.Julia Binswanger
And as the animation above shows, this tilt causes the Moon's shadow to miss the Earth.Tom Yulsman
3
: the preparation of animation (as for animated cartoons, video games, commercials, etc.)

Examples of animation in a Sentence

The animation for the film took over two years to complete. The studio used computer animation for some of the special effects. The website has hundreds of animations you can download.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In its own surveys, Google found that its new Material 3 Expressive design language, with its responsive animations and playful typography, scored high across all age groups. Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 21 May 2025 Developing or deploying avatars with lifelike animations and multilingual capabilities can require significant upfront investment. Jiajun Lu, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 In addition to the design-rendering technology, the company has been working on a virtual try-on process as well as digital templates, animations and other materials brands can use to market their products. Penelope Colston, New York Times, 20 May 2025 Some of the new format changes will include to-camera moments where characters will speak directly to viewers, animation overlays, visual effects such as wand sparkles, bubbles and confetti, and one 11-minute story. Esther Kang, People.com, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for animation

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of animation was in 1597

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Cite this Entry

“Animation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animation. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

animation

noun
an·​i·​ma·​tion ˌan-ə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce animation (audio)
1
: the state of being animate or animated
2
a
: a film made by photographing a series of positions of objects (as puppets)
3
: the making of animations

Medical Definition

animation

noun
an·​i·​ma·​tion ˌan-ə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce animation (audio)
: the state of being animate or animated see suspended animation

More from Merriam-Webster on animation

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