plural cartoons
1
: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2
a
: a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor
a political cartoon
a cartoon drawing
b
: a group of drawings in narrative sequence : comic strip
3
: a video (such as a television show or movie) that is made from a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects (such as puppets) and that simulates movement by slight progressive changes in each frame : animated cartoon
4
: a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version
The film's villain is an entertaining cartoon.
cartoon
verb
cartoonishly
adverb
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
If they weren’t dressed as animals, beer bottles, giant burritos, glittery unicorns, or cartoon and video game characters, runners had on foam reindeer antlers.
—
Gregory Wakeman, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
In the footage, the trio is shown accidentally killing a man named Mojo, a deviation from the cartoon's villain Mojo Jojo.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, back at the table, Flow, a magical, mystical Latvian cartoon about a cat, is up for both Best Picture and Best International Film.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
State of play: The 14-acre theme park features rides, play areas and live shows that showcase the British cartoon and its main characters.
—Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
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Gregory Wakeman, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
In the footage, the trio is shown accidentally killing a man named Mojo, a deviation from the cartoon's villain Mojo Jojo.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, back at the table, Flow, a magical, mystical Latvian cartoon about a cat, is up for both Best Picture and Best International Film.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
State of play: The 14-acre theme park features rides, play areas and live shows that showcase the British cartoon and its main characters.
—Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cartoon
Cite this Entry
“Cartoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartoon. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
3
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
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