anime

noun

an·​i·​me ˈa-nə-ˌmā  ˈä-nē- 

: a style of animation originating in Japan that is characterized by stark colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots often with fantastic or futuristic themes

Examples of anime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There, fans participate in cosplay, where people dress up as their favorite anime, cartoon, video game or other media characters. —Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026

Amid regular weekly releases of the final arc of Eiichiro Oda’s original hit manga, there’s also been updates on WIT Studio’s anime remake The One Piece, alongside the release of the second season of Netflix’s live adaptation, and an announcement of a LEGO One Piece special. —Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026

The tour is anchored in the franchise’s 10th anniversary – the anime first aired in April 2016 – with the milestone year also bringing a commemorative logo, special visual releases and the announcement of a brand-new extra episode. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026

Based on the trailer, the film has a limited animation style reminiscent of Adult Swim shows more than most traditional anime films. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, animation, short for animēshiyon, from English

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anime

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

anime

noun

an·​i·​me ˈan-ə-ˌmā  ˈä-nē- 

: a style of animation originating in Japan that has stark colorful graphics, action-filled plots, and often fantastic or futuristic themes

Etymology

from Japanese, literally, "animation," short for animēshiyon (from English)